


The Devil Went Down to Drabble

by Zenith_Lux



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Dadgil, Drabbles, F/M, Hanami Week, It's all very wholesome though, Okay I lied there's a little angst, Requests, demon!reader, no angst here hopefully, random things, reader fics, such is life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 28,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23548339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenith_Lux/pseuds/Zenith_Lux
Summary: A collection of Devil May Cry drabbles from a prompt challenge on Tumblr. Ranges in themes, characters, ideas, and all sorts of fun stuff.
Relationships: Dante (Devil May Cry)/Reader, Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry), Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s), Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Reader
Comments: 77
Kudos: 271





	1. Cupcakes (Vergil and Dante)

**Author's Note:**

> I've posted these on Tumblr already, but I felt it would be great to make a collection here. 
> 
> I probably won't have many author notes from here on out, but I hope you enjoy ^^
> 
> And if you want to see my posts as their finished (or request a drabble yourself!), you can check out my Tumblr [here](https://zenithlux.tumblr.com)!

Vergil was used to fighting with Dante. Even as kids, the two fought over everything, much to the chagrin of his mother. He remembered Sparda calling it “normal, half-demon behavior”, only to get chastised for encouraging such a thing. But this - this feud that was taking place in the kitchen of _his home, was not_ what Vergil expected to be dealing with today. 

But here they were, surrounded by dozens of underbaked cupcakes with the only decent tray hidden on top of the fridge so Dante didn’t start throwing them again. But that was the least of Vergil’s worries, as it was the frosting that had done the most damage. The first two batches had gone horribly wrong for reasons Vergil didn’t know. But, for some reason, Dante had decided that the best thing to do with such failures was to dump one on Vergil’s head. The second one had been thrown at Dante, splattering the walls and floors with specks of blue. _That_ had turned into an actual fight, and Vergil wasn’t certain how he would fix the various holes in the wall or the cracked table.

And Dante wasn’t even supposed to _be_ here. His brother hadn’t visited once since the day Vergil moved out, so of course he would show up on the _one_ day that Vergil convinced himself to attempt baking for his beloved. And he had tried to send him away, but Dante had been insistent, even though he didn’t have a reason for such behavior. 

Now that they (i.e Vergil) had made a functional batch of icing, all he’d done over the last five minutes was stare at it. A part of him wondered if it was even real. Surely he wasn’t capable of creating such a thing after so many failures. It couldn’t possibly be good… right? He had such a hard time judging the flavors when it was nothing but sugar, but he knew _she_ liked it… and this was her recipe, so it had to be good. 

Right?

“What are you so worried about?” 

Dante had retreated to the doorway, as he had left to wash his coat before the comical amount of frosting left dark blue stains behind. His hair, like Vergil, was still covered in the stuff, but that wouldn’t be too hard to clean. Vergil was more concerned _she_ would come home before he had a chance to fix this mess. 

“I don’t know,” Vergil said. “It can’t be…”

“Just frost,” Dante said, “The damn cupcakes.” 

Vergil’s eyes drifted back to the bowl in front of him. It looked right. It was colored right… it had to be right. 

Finally, he reached for the piping bag - another thing he’d only watched her use in passing - and filled it the same amount he’d seen before. He hesitated again once that was done. 

He couldn’t do this.

It wouldn’t…

“Vergil,” Dante said as he moved over to place a reassuring hand on Vergil’s shoulder. “She’s going to love anything you do. So please,” He grinned. “frost the damn cupcakes.”

And for the first time that day, he was glad his brother had come over. 

They may never stop fighting… but at least he knew they’d always be there for each other.


	2. You Fix It (VergilxReader)

Vergil knew his girlfriend was a passionate person, but he had never seen her this deep in the throes of frustration for quite this long.

He hadn’t realized that buying a new dresser would cause so much turmoil in their household.

“Are you…”

“Nope!” She snapped, hands gripping the paper so tightly that Vergil was genuinely surprised it didn’t tear in half. “I will figure this out!” She announced, eyes scanning the multitude of diagrams inches from her eyes. Then there were the pieces scattered all over the floor, mixed with a hodgepodge of screws and other tiny pieces in piles all around the room. It wasn’t a mess, per se, but it also wasn’t up to her standards of cleanliness either. 

A part of Vergil felt bad, as he had had every intention of putting the thing together himself. But then Dante had called about an unstable portal, and Nero had called about demons near the orphanage, and the entire day had vanished before he’d had a chance to do anything about it. And he knew she understood, but the pure anguish on her face.

“Do you want…”

“Nope!” She snapped again. “I’ve got this.” Her eyes narrowed as she pulled the paper even closer. But just as he thought she might have come to some epiphany, she slowly lowered the paper, eyes staring straight into the great unknown as her lips tightened into a perfectly straight line. 

Then, she threw both her hands and the paper up into the air. “I’m done!” She said as she jumped to her feet. “You can fix it.” Vergil heard her huff as she stormed by him, and he had no clue where she was going. He was, however, smart enough to know that this was far greater than putting the dresser together.

He found her in the kitchen, staring at the coffee maker as if it held the answers to the universe itself. Except she had yet to turn it on, so the coffee mug in her hand was more of a formality than anything. “Long day?” Vergil said. 

She sniffled. “You fight hordes of demons for a living, and I can’t put together a stupid dresser.”

Vergil slipped in front of her as he slowly pried the coffee mug from her shaking hands. “You do much more than that,” He said gently. “You find ways to make me smile when no one else can. You stay by my side after all of my mistakes.” He brought her hand to his lips. “You drive the nightmares away just by existing.”

Her eyes softened. “Vergil…”

“I rely on you, my precious treasure,” He whispered. “And I always will.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to her forehead. She sighed, but it was more relaxed than he had heard so far. 

“You’re still fixing it,” She murmured. 

Vergil chuckled. “As you wish.”


	3. Underwear (VergilxReader)

The day was exceedingly hot; the highest temperature that you could recall in years. And when you woke up that morning, Vergil’s complete disregard for it made you think that you were overreacting. Something about “inconsistent human bodies” that are “unable to regulate temperatures properly”. And you might have argued with him over it if you weren’t half-mad with heat-sickness and stuck in Devil May Cry. 

The latter was arguably the worst part. At least at home, you had certain… remedies for such a situation. Here, you could do nothing but sit around in as few clothes as possible without being indecent. Which, with Vergil’s innate sense of jealousy, was your capris that were far too tight, and a t-shirt that might as well have been soaked in water. 

Actually… maybe you should do that instead. It was a dark shirt… he would live.

But finally, finally, after many hours of stubborn denial, Vergil admitted, “It is a rather warm day.”

You rolled your eyes. “Is that so? Wish I would have realized that sooner.”

Vergil glared at you, but there was no malice behind it. Not anymore, anyway. Your relationship was, thankfully, past that point. “You and I both know how faulty your perception of such things often is.”

You scowl. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You are always cold, for instance, even after a warm shower.”

“By that logic, You say. “If I say its too hot, I’m probably on to something.”

“Regardless,” Vergil said. “I doubt we’ll see many clients today. Very few demons attack in this weather.”

“The irony of that.”

“I am aware.”

You sigh; a long and frustrated sound that had culminated from hours of frustration and an impending heat stroke. But then, a certain… wicked thought came to your mind. You felt your lips twitch in an almost smile as you roll your head back to look at him. “There is a way to beat this heat.”

“Drink some water,” He said, eyes not leaving his book.”

“True,” you say with a shrug. “Or we can chill in our underwear.”

His eyes jerked up in an instant, and the look he gave you was something between horror, confusion, and a small sparkle of something you couldn’t quite describe. He snapped the book shut. “You know where we are, yes?”

“You know how easy it is to go home, yes?”

“Despite the lack of clientele, we cannot leave until this day is over.”

“Then I guess we don’t have a choice,” You said coyly as you rolled over and stared up at him with your best puppy dog eyes. “I have a sports bra on today. It’s fine.”

Vergil growled, eyes twitching. “It is not that hot.”

“Yes it is.”

“This is technically a public place.”

“And?”

“No one in their right mind is going to risk being caught in their underwear in front of clients.” 

A loud yawn from the staircase startled them both, and even Vergil whipped around in a not-so-subtle attempt to hide his surprise. There, on the bottom step, was Dante in his boxers. And while that should have been appalling on his own, Vergil was shocked to see they were both hot pink and covered in hearts. But Dante, ever unaware of his own shame, glanced at them. 

“It’s hot as hell in here!”

Then, he wandered into the kitchen, oblivious to the quiet laughter that followed him.


	4. You Fucking Suck (Dadgil)

Nero didn’t like being angry all the time. Honest. He wasn’t used to it. He felt all wrong. It wasn’t the way he acted around anyone else. Even Kyrie had noticed, asking multiple times if he was alright. And Nero had promised he was, but he knew she didn’t believe him. But she kept supporting him anyway, and he knew she was doing everything she could to help.

Nero knew he didn’t deserve her, but he was glad she was there for him all the same. 

On the bright(?) side, he did know the source of his anger. One, infuriatingly brusque, clueless, and formerly (?) evil half-devil that just so happened to be his father. 

Dante had told Nero numerous times that Vergil wanted a relationship, but given the latter’s actions, Nero didn’t believe it one bit. Vergil rarely talked to him, and most conversations ended in fierce, almost bloody arguments. For the most part, Nero’s estranged father avoided his home entirely. He came to the orphanage if there were demons, but never to help out or do anything else productive. Dante had to drag him to family gatherings, but Vergil would practically hug the wall until the end, or disappear when he thought no one was looking.

But Nero still remembered Kyrie’s words; “he’s lost, Nero. He doesn’t know what to do or what to say to make this right.”

“How is that my fault?”

“It’s not. But if anyone can mend this relationship, it’s you.”

“And what if I don’t want to?”

“Then I’m certain he’ll accept that.”

And that bothered Nero more than anything else. Because he knew, deep down, that Kyrie was right. Vergil would accept it. He would stay away if that’s what Nero wanted. 

And dammit, that’s not what Nero wanted.

Unfortunately, this current conversation, in which Nero had gone to Devil May Cry himself, kicked Dante out, and started with all the right intentions, was quickly falling apart at his feet. And at first, everything had gone well despite the shallow conversation. They’d exchanged birthdays (Vergil couldn’t remember his, so they’d had to track down Dante’s on a calendar somewhere). He’d learned Vergil’s favorite food (fruit, go figure) favorite color (blue- finally something in common) and a whole bunch of other rather useless information. But it was a start.

But then, things had fallen completely apart. All it had taken was one bad reaction. One sign that Vergil was unwilling to bridge this gap himself. 

“If you want to fix this, start with the orphanage. We need all the help we can get.”

And Vergil had visibly flinched, frowning to hide his clear terror at such an idea. And the sheer _rage_ Nero felt was overwhelming. How dare this man come back into his life after so many stupid mistakes, and refuse to help atone for what he’d done wrong. How dare he belittle Nero and Kyrie’s tireless efforts to keep the city together. A city that, while not as damaged as Redgrave, felt the Qliphoth’s destruction all the same. 

“Forget it,” Nero snapped. “You fucking suck.”

But as he turned to leave, a quiet “ _wait... Nero”_ drew him right back. And when he turned to see the pure _anguish_ in Vergil’s eyes, his anger dissipated. “What is it?” Nero said. “Why do you...”

“I need more time,” Vergil said. “I need...” He faltered; the first time Nero had seen such a thing. And suddenly, a wave of understanding crashed over him. 

“It’s okay,” Nero said. “I... I understand.” 

Vergil’s eyes widened, and Nero saw a split second of confusion before he recovered. “I just need time,” He finished. “I’m... trying.”

Slowly, Nero nodded. “I know.”


	5. How Long? (NeroxKyrie)

Kyrie was used to spending time alone by now. It wasn’t in a negative way, as it felt like a lifetime since she’d gotten reasonable time to herself. But her foster kids were old enough to go out on their own. Nero had steady work (which, considering his line of work, was both a good and bad thing). Even so, these moments were fleeting, and she enjoyed some time to think.

Or, in today’s case, time to hum to the radio while washing the dishes. Sometimes, if she was feeling particularly daring, she would even dance to the music. And that would always include a small chuckle at how silly it had been when the church had banned such “provocative movement”. 

She still remembered the first dance she’d ever had with Nero. It had been at her friend, Maria’s wedding six months after the Savior’s defeat. The older woman - 22 at the time - was what the church elders called a “wanton harlot”. A troublemaker, so to speak. Maria had never particularly cared about the title, and Kyrie had always secretly admired her friend’s confidence in everything she did. Even Credo, who had initially spoken of his worry for the woman’s soul, had come to accept her. And Maria had mourned his death as much as his family, which led Kyrie to wonder if the two had been closer than she initially thought. But she never asked, and Maria never told. Then the wedding happened, and everyone started to move on.

Kyrie had been bold that night. Why was anyone’s guess. She assumed Maria’s encouragement had something to do with it, but it didn’t matter. By the end of the night, she found herself inviting Nero to an empty dance floor in front of hundreds of unknown guests. And oh how his cheeks flushed at the prospect? His reaction - a mixture of stunned, terrified, and oddly honored - had soothed her own racing heartbeat. He’d been so shy then despite his outward attitude. So nervous to accept such a thing. 

But Nero was never one to turn down something like that. Especially not if she asked. And the smile he’d given her as he took her hand... the way his eyes and skin shimmered in the golden light of the lanterns... the beat of the song as the swayed from side to side...

“Happy thoughts, I hope?”

Kyrie gasped in shock, dropping her plate. Soapy water flew everywhere as she leaped away. Nero caught her, his expression caught somewhere between a desire to laugh at the commotion and concern for her safety. Kyrie’s cheeks flushed in an instant. “How long have you been standing there?” She said.

“A few minutes,” Nero shrugged as he helped her to her feet. “Been a while since I’ve heard that song.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he pointed to the radio. That was when Kyrie realized that it had, in fact, changed to the same one from that night... the same piece from her memories. 

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Explains why my thoughts drifted to that of all things.”

Nero hummed thoughtfully as he gently slid his fingers along her arms. He pushed them up, resting both on his shoulders before he placed his own hands at her waist. “One of my favorite memories,” He whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers.

Kyrie kissed him, dishes temporarily forgotten.


	6. After Everything (NeroxKyrie)

Nero was having a terrible day.

It was bad enough that demons had been swarming him on what should have been a simple, routine job. It also wasn’t enough that the creatures were a mixture of beefy behemoths and obnoxiously elusive Baphomets. Even worse, his only back up was stuck fighting some massive rock, demon cyclops worm, thing (there was no name for that freak of nature). 

But the worst part wasn’t the demons or the battles or the blood that he was coated in. 

No, it was the fact that he had been dragged away from date night - _again -_ for the fourth time that month. 

She had to be furious with him by now. Or sick of him, at the very least. How many nights had she had to sleep alone because some demon asshole was threatening Fortuna or Redgrave or some other place that Dante and Vergil couldn’t get to? How many days had she been left alone at the dinner table with days worth of cooking left to cool because he wasn’t there to appreciate it with her? 

How much longer did he have before Kyrie gave up on him? 

Would he even blame her?

 _No._ He thought miserably as he sliced through another Baphomet. _No, I wouldn’t._

He almost missed the squeal of tires as the van whipped around the corner. Nero leaped backward far too late to make a difference, but Nico had dodged him anyway, ramming the van straight into a crowd of Baphomets. They shattered against the wall, somehow stopping the van in all the chaos. If Nero hadn’t worked with Nico for so long, he wouldn’t have believed it. “What the hell are you doing?” Nero said as he shot a weakened Behemoth nearby.

“V-man and yer Uncle are on their way,” Nico said, breathless as she tossed him a phone. “Kyrie sent ya a message, and ya probably want to read it now instead of later.”

Nero grimaced. There it was. The moment he’d been dreading for weeks. The inevitable goodbye message. A part of him was glad that she hadn’t waited for him to come home. Maybe it was better this way. He’d be a mess for a week... maybe longer... probably closer to...

_Hey Nero :)_

He paused, confused. Why would she send a smile at a time like this? Why?

Nico snorted. “Just read it.”

Nero huffed and walked away. He heard Dante shout a greeting in the distance, but ignored it as Nico (thankfully) intervened. His eyes scanned the rest of the message as he tried to ignore the painful thud of his heart against his ribcage.

_I’m sorry tonight didn’t work out._

“Sorry?” Nero echoed. “Why are you sorry?”

_But I wanted you to know that everything is okay._

Nero blinked, rereading the line twice before he was able to move on. Okay, she had typed. Everything...

Why had he doubted her? Now he felt like a fool.

_And I don’t want you to worry. The kids are asleep. Dinner is waiting. I even made something extra special for when you come home. So be safe, my love. And remember, after everything, I’d still choose you._

Nero sniffed before rubbing his face with his sleeve. Odd. He hadn’t realized he was sweating so much. 

“Go home.”

Nero jumped, and it was Vergil that caught the phone before it hit the ground. “We can handle this,” his father said as he tossed the phone back. In another second, a portal snapped open and Vergil teleported to Dante’s side. “Thanks, old man,” Nero said. He swore he saw Vergil smile in the distance but didn’t bother sticking around to check.

He stepped through the portal only to get tackled by Kyrie as soon as it closed. “Welcome home,” She whispered.

“Kyrie,” He whispered as he kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”


	7. Clingy (DantexReader)

If there was one thing Dante loved, it was attention. That much was probably obvious to anyone who simply glanced at him for longer than a few seconds. If he wasn’t wearing the Faust hat (which, honestly, when didn’t he?), then it was the Devil Sword attached to his back. Or the demon motorcycle he took with him wherever he could. Or, let’s be real, it was _clearly_ his good looks, stellar charm, and expensive leather jacket.

Vergil would laugh him out the door if he ever heard that. 

But that’s why Dante liked the attention so much; it was something that separated him from his twin. Dante would happily put on impromptu shows or go to a club and dance the night away. Vergil would rather read a book, learn a new language, and knit a sweater (or something else equally as boring. Dante had yet to actually catch Vergil crafting anything, but he also wouldn’t put it past his older twin). 

Boring just wasn’t Dante’s style. 

So, it really wasn’t a surprise that their secretary- hired by Morrison because he “sure as hell wasn’t trusting the finances to Dante” again - was attracted to Dante himself. _Him. The_ Legendary Demon Slayer. Not Vergil. Not the... not-so legendary demon slayer. (Vergil really should work on his branding). But _Dante_ was the one who got the adorably-nervous/curious looks. He was the one who got a stolen kiss in the storage closet where she admitted that she cared for him. She was the one overwhelmingly relieved when he returned the feelings, even though the two had yet to start a real relationship. Regardless, he was the one with someone to shamelessly flirt with. _Him._ Dante. _Not_ Vergil.

Granted, Verge was already stubbornly smitten with someone else (even though he wouldn’t admit it). But that wasn’t important.

What _was_ important, was the fact that Dante’s poor secretary was very clearly in love with him, but always seemed so hesitant. She _wanted_ to be in the same room as him, yet seemed embarrassed to be too close. She reached her hand out for his numerous times but yanked it back with mumbled apologies. And Dante tried to encourage her, but even he was fumbling around what words to say or what things to do. 

The last thing he wanted to do was dissuade those feelings. 

Because dammit... he loved her too. 

It was Vergil, of all people, who finally clued him in on how to fix this.

“Just tell her the truth.”

Unfortunately, Dante couldn’t argue with that, because that was the exact same thing he had told Vergil months ago. And that same advice is what eventually led to a very committed relationship. So the fact that Dante hadn’t followed the same advice was baffling.

So, the next time he caught her staring at him longingly, he moved to her side with a lazy grin and a nervous thudding in his chest. “Hello, beautiful,” He said as he leaned against the wall. She smiled, her fingers wrapping together around the books in her hand to hide her nerves.

“Hello, Dante,” She said with a smile. “What can I do for you today?”

That time, he hesitated. Was it fair of him to speak to her like this in what was supposed to be a professional relationship? He liked her... and he assumed she liked him. And his shop was a far cry from a regular business-like setting. What’s the worst that could happen?

 _Rejection,_ his mind said. 

But he was Dante. The legendary demon slayer. He would not allow his concern to ruin this chance. 

But when he went to open his mouth, she - in a serious bout of confidence - placed a finger to his lips. “You’re the clingy type, aren’t you?”

Dante stared at her, both confused and resisting the urge to laugh. Fitting that this would be the way for this to end. “Is that a bad thing?”

Her smile turned coy. “Quite the contrary,” She said as she brushed the back of her hand along his cheek. “I love it.”


	8. In the Mood (VergilxReader)

Vergil didn’t know what he was doing with his life.

Wasn’t this supposed to be _her_ thing? Waking up in the middle of the night with this... What had she called it before? Thirst? Craving? A “mood”? (God how he hated that one). 

It didn’t matter what name she’d given it. The point was, it was _him_ awake at 3am, and _not_ her. Which was entirely unacceptable. She wouldn’t hesitate to wake him up, so he was really just returning the favor.

Except... she looked so peaceful. Waking up in the middle of the night wasn’t a rare occurrence between them. In fact, it was less likely either of them would sleep through the night. Before they started sharing the same bed, it was usually Vergil who stayed awake. He could get some reading done, avoid his own nightmares, and be there for hers. And it worked great until the nights that his cursed human-half dragged him into a deep slumber where he’d almost certainly wake up in a cold sweat and go right back to not sleeping for another few days.

But one night, he’d woken up to her by his side; a quiet presence that soothed him just by existing. He still remembered the way she took his hand and smiled. “It’s okay,” She said before brushing strands of his hair back until she was satisfied. “Everything’s fine. And do you know why?”

He still didn’t know what had compelled him to respond to such a thing. “Why?”

“Because I’m here with you, Vergil,” She said. “And I will be, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Now here they were. Six months later, (or more? Vergil wasn’t entirely certain anymore) sharing the same bed. Building a new life together despite the pain neither could ever truly escape. With that memory in mind, it should have been easy to forget all about his... predicament and find a way to sleep again.

But he couldn’t figure out how to accomplish such a thing, despite managing it numerous times before. It was baffling, and not in a good way.

It didn’t help that this was quite possibly the worst night for this to happen, as they had both been dragged on (and somehow enjoyed) a family gathering where she’d been roped into drinking a bit too much thanks to Dante. Vergil had stabbed him at least twice over that one, much to everyone else’s amusement. But she handled her alcohol about as well as a fish handled air, and was out cold before they’d even gotten home. She was only in bed because Vergil had put her there, and _he_ was awake because she’d managed to mumble something that had ruined everything.

_I love you... Vergil... More than anything in the whole world._

She’d said it before. In fact, Vergil was painfully aware that she had said it approximately 100% more than he had. And every time she said it...

Well...

Vergil sighed before gently shaking her. “My love,” He murmured, aware that she likely couldn’t hear him quite yet. “I need your... assistance.” She groaned in response, burying her face deeper into the pillows. Doubt gnawed at Vergil’s chest. It would be easy to walk away and wait for this whole, foolish thing to go away. But even _that_ thought made it worse, as the perceived anguish of waiting for a better time made his mind reel in unexpected ways.

That’s when he realized the drink Dante gave him probably wasn’t juice, to begin with. 

Maybe he could channel this energy to kill his brother instead. 

“Vergil?”

His gaze snapped to hers. “I...” He started to pull his hand away, but she grabbed it with shockingly quick reflexes. He couldn’t read her expression, nor did he waste time trying. 

“What’s wrong?” She said.

“...Nothing.”

Her eyes focused as well as they could manage while half-asleep. But Vergil swore he saw a small smile. “Did you just wake me up at 3AM because you were _in the mood_?” Her voice was coy despite her sleepiness, and Vergil knew he couldn’t lie his way out of this. 

So, whether it was his drunken stupor or something else, he said, “I love you.”

She blinked once. Twice. Silence descended over the room as she slowly pushed herself upright to stare straight at him. For a second, Vergil debated on grabbing Yamato and portalling away. Dante would still be awake, but he didn’t want to start explaining...

He froze as her lips brushed his. “I love you too,” She whispered as she intertwined their fingers and pulled him gently toward her. “And I have a solution for that problem of yours too,” She said with a quiet chuckle. 

Vergil grunted but didn’t argue when she caught his lips again.


	9. Did I Scare You? (Nero/Demon!Reader)

Nero didn’t know what possessed him to date a demon. 

He also knew how ironic that sentence was, yet he had yet to figure out another way to say it. 

After breaking up with Kyrie - a mutual agreement, as the two realized they were really just friends - he’d been lonely for more than a few months. Dante and Vergil were surprisingly good company, even offering Nero a place in Devil May Cry until he figured things out. And Nero liked to think his relationship with his father was improving with this new situation, as the two had finally figured out how to talk to each other. They all still saw Kyrie from time to time, as Nero was always happy to help with the orphanage or take care of the foster kids whenever she needed it. But now, he and Nico could hunt demons to their heart's content.

And then he’d met _her._

At first, Nero assumed the woman was just a special kind of human. She used a sword similar to his, except hers could change shape on a dime. And no matter what form it took - including a hammer-like thing that Dante envied, and an overly long katana that Vergil had called ‘superfluous’ - she used it with expert precision. And even after Vergil warned Nero of the woman’s demonic nature, both he and Nico were smitten. Nico started calling her ‘devil-girl’, except that title was said with endearment, while ‘devil-boy’ was used to tease him. ‘Swordmistress’ had been said once or twice, but Nero still wasn’t sure if that was a legitimate nickname or something Nico used to taunt Vergil.

Regardless, after a few weeks of chance encounters, Nero was more than relieved when their new devil companion accepted his offer of working with them. Partially because Nico would have killed him had he not asked, but mostly because he wanted to get to know her more himself. 

Imagine his surprise when he saw her demonic form for the first time.

It shouldn’t have caught him off guard as much as it did. Even after seeing his family’s own demonic forms - which were much stronger and arguably ‘scarier’ than most others-, hers was still a shock. The ease which she transformed in front of him was just as impressive as Dante and Vergil’s. Her long legs were accentuated by taloned feet that were bent like high-heels. A long piece of leather clung to her body, leaving little to the imagination. Her wings were nothing like his family’s, looking more like long, sharp, insect legs than actual wings. Her head twisted into something like a beetle with curved horns and large, glowing antennae that highlighted her black and orange exoskeleton. And when the fight was over, she swiveled her head around in a completely unnatural way as her bug eyes glittered in what he imagined was mischief. 

_“Did I scare you, big boy?”_

Nero didn’t know what overcame him. But he burst into laughter before throwing her a grin of his own. “Not at all,” He said, revving red queen as he slipped into his own demonic form. “All I see is someone new to spar with.”

She chuckled, though it was more of a series of clicks than anything human. “I knew the blood of Sparda was strong, but I never imagined you had such a form.”

“Guess we’re both full of surprises.”

This time, he was certain she was laughing. _“I have a proposition for you.”_

“Shoot.” He said as he propped Red Queen on his shoulder. She tilted her head, and Nero corrected himself. “Tell me.”

 _“Loser pays for a...”_ She paused, head tilting the other way. 

“Dinner?”

_“Is that what a meeting between two people who may or may not like each other is called?”_

Nero snorted. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”

 _“Then yes,”_ She said. _“Loser pays for the dinner.”_

“Deal.”


	10. Are You Scared? (VergilxReader)

Vergil was vaguely aware that she had never seen his devil form. It hadn’t been entirely on purpose. Though, he wasn’t too keen on unleashing _that_ half of him for no particular reason. They fought together, sure, but there was never an instance where he had needed it. His human form and Yamato did just fine, and she could handle her own. And she was smart: smart enough to know when she couldn’t handle something and to leave it to him instead. And this team dynamic had worked, for the most part. 

But then something had gone wrong. A pack of demons had ambushed her on her way to Devil May Cry; one of the few times in weeks that he hadn’t been there. And his brave little artist had managed to take a few out on her own, but the third - a fury, of all things - caught her right in the stomach. 

Vergil could smell the blood from a mile away.

His demon didn’t hesitate.

Within seconds, he was by her side, despite not knowing before where she had been or what had even happened. He vaguely heard a gasp somewhere behind him when he quite literally tore the fury apart and turned on the other two that _dare_ harm her. He felt the presence of other demons dissipate in an instant as they scattered. And he might have chased them down if the scent of blood didn’t remind him why he was there in the first place. 

_My..._

It was then that he realized what he’d done, and how gruesome the scene was. This was more than calculated cuts by Yamato or perfect strikes with his summoned swords. This was... it was violent. Dark. Monsterous. It...

“Vergil,” 

He blinked once as she took a slow, pained step toward him. Her hand was on her bleeding stomach, but her eyes were on his. Any trace of fear she may have had was gone, replaced by the same love he had seen time and time again. “It’s okay,” She said. “I’ve suffered worse.”

Vergil knew he should transform back, but he didn’t. Maybe it was her confidence or the way she seemed more concerned with his safety than her own. Even so, he didn’t miss the way her body shook the closer he got or the way her breathing hitched when she finally stood in front of him. “Wow,” She said.

“Am I scaring you?”

His voice came out as a deep, guttural growl that startled her. Then, she laughed, before wincing as she pressed harder against her wound. Vergil reached for her, but noticed his own claws and thought better of it. Instead, he cautiously moved his tail toward her, brushing it against her side. She eyed it with a sense of wonder, before looking back at him. “I suppose this was bound to happen eventually,” She said. “And I will admit... I wish I had more time to admire you.”

Vergil knew his demon form wouldn’t give away his shock. His tail, however, wrapped fully around her back. He resisted the urge to pull her closer, his mind muddled with the scent of her and her blood all mixed together. “You need help,” He said. 

“May I?”

“May you what?”

She reached her hand toward his face. “Just for a moment,” She said. “Then we can go.”

Slowly, Vergil nodded. And when her fingers brushed his scales, he physically shuddered. Her touch was freezing compared to his demon-half, but it wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, it made him purr before he could stop it. His tail flicked away for a moment in annoyance, before brushing again along her spine. She laughed but winced as she stumbled back. This time, his tail wrapped fully around her, pulling her close and dropping her into his arms. “Hold on,” He said, not that it mattered as even if she wasn’t hurt, he would never let her go. 


	11. Take. It. Off. (VergilxReader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be adjusting this to a different chapter once Hanami week is over :)

You didn’t know why today of all days was when you realized how _unfair_ it was that your boyfriend was not nearly as relaxed as his twin brother.

Take right now, for instance. It was the end of the day. The shop was closed. There wouldn’t be any more customers for the rest of the evening. It was 94 degrees outside, so 94% of demons wouldn’t be able to survive a second in the sunlight. The air conditioner was broken and had been for months. All prime reasons to take one’s shirt off. Dante, who had done so hours ago, had little concern for... well anything, really. But _Vergil_ was still fully dressed; vest, long-sleeved coat, leather pants, thigh-high boots.. _everything._

How this maniac hadn’t melted yet was beyond you.

Even Dante was teasing him about it (though that really shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise either). He’d toss a jab Vergil’s way once every few minutes (“ _You must be dying in all that gear”. “Are you really that self-conscious?”)._ But, more infuriating, was the way he also managed to rope _you_ into most of these slights. ( _“I’m sure you’re girlfriend would love it.” “She’s probably pretty thirsty, don’t you think, Verge?” “It’s unfortunate you won’t give her a show”_ ). Even you, who always tried to keep the brother’s from fighting, was more than satisfied when Vergil chucked a summoned sword into his brother’s shoulder. 

Unfortunately, none of the teasing actually got to him. 

So here you both were, alone in Devil May Cry after Dante decided to go out with the ladies because “you’re both too boring for me”, and Vergil still hadn’t taken _anything_ off. 

So, it was up to you to rectify that.

You started by acting as cheerful as possible. “You could at least take off the jacket, you know. It’ll probably be more comfortable.”

Vergil glanced at you over his book - an easy getaway when he was trying to avoid conversation. “I’m just fine, love.”

Your eyes narrow. “Love” was the lowest of the nicknames he’d given you. After months of trial and error, you knew he only used that name when he was annoyed or exasperated by your antics. But you would not be deterred. “It probably needs to be washed by now, yeah?”

That time, he glared at you, and you grinned back, victorious. You were the only person Vergil trusted to wash that coat, and you knew from your previous demonic fights that it was far dirtier than he wanted. Now, it was simply a battle against your patience and his stubbornness. “In fact,” you say in a low, coy tone. “I think it _all_ needs to be washed,” He slid onto his lap, tugging on the book. He lets you take it, and you don’t miss the way his pupils flickered to his demonic form for the briefest of moments. “Including my own.”

You tossed the book aside and reached for your shirt. Vergil grabbed your hand, his eyes fully demonic now. “What are you doing?”

You wrinkle your nose in the most exaggerated manner possible. “I’ve been sweating for hours, Vergil. It’s disgusting.” You yank on the fabric, surprisingly enough that you could pull the shirt off before he could argue with you. His eyes drifted to your half nude form, lingering on your blue sports bra for a moment longer than he usually did. “I hope you’re not disappointed,” You said. “But I had to wear something useful today.”

His eyes narrowed. “What’s your plan?”

You roll your hips ever so gently as you slide your hands up under his jacket, sliding it off his shoulders. Finally, he shakes it off, letting it fall behind his back. But that wasn’t enough for you. You point to his vest with a sweet grin, rolling your hips a second time for extra effect. “Take. It. Off. _My love.”_

He growled. “Your playing with fire, my little star,”

Your smile never falters. “Maybe I want to get burned.” 

He was on his feet before you knew it, sweeping you right up the stairs.


	12. Cherry Blossoms (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme #1 - 'Flowers'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First author's notes since chapter one!
> 
> So I am participating in DMC Hanami Week, and I've decided to do 7 short drabbles that tell one big story based on the themes given. This means that any other drabbles I write during this week will be posted, but reorganized so the Hanami week is all in order!
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

Vergil had never been to a cherry blossom festival for a multitude of reasons. When he was younger, he wouldn’t be caught dead at such a place even if he had the time or ability to go. Then there were the ‘unspoken years’, a mutually agreed upon term in his family, followed by another few months fighting Dante in the underworld. And even after all of that, Vergil never expected to have a reason to go. But since his beloved had yet to miss one festival in her 30+ years of life which meant Vergil had to go. That, or she’d end up going with Dante. And even though they’d be with everyone else in his family, Vergil would have to stab him over it, and that wasn’t good for anyone involved. 

And that’s how Vergil found himself stepping off the train with his brother and his son, annoyed that he’d had to go with them instead of her, as the women apparently had other plans. But Nero looked about as on edge as Vergil felt, so maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought.

“So where to first, boys?” Dante said as he slapped both backs, nearly knocking all three of them right off the train. “Looks like we’ve got some time to ourselves.”

“Oh hell no,” Nero said. “I’m not getting caught dead here alone with you two.”

Dante clicked his tongue. “I think I should be offended.”

“Fuck off.”

“Yep,” Dante said with a shrug. “Definitely offended. Lucky for you,” He snapped his fingers, pointed at Nero and winked. “I’m in a good mood.”

Vergil ignored the ensuing argument as he wandered to the edge of the platform. The train had stopped in the center of the town, overlooking miles of trees filled with cherry blossoms. Vergil hadn’t seen one before his beloved introduced them to him, but even he couldn’t deny the certain… appeal they had. However, it was the sheer multitude of people down below that made him uneasy. They had try to go during the workday, but there had been too many demon sightings throughout the week. Now, Vergil was wishing he’d just brought her earlier in the week. 

But then the family would have dragged him out anyway, so it probably didn’t matter.

“Vergil.”

He blinked and glanced behind him, only to see Nero staring down the platform, eyes wide. And when he followed his son’s gaze, he was certain his own eyes widened too. For at the end, pushing past all the crowds as if they owned the place, where all five of the women dressed in full, traditional yukatas. Even Nico, who Vergil had only seen ‘dress up’ (in a suit, of course) for Nero and Kyrie’s wedding, was wrapped up in one. But he didn’t care about the four leading the way. His eyes drifted to the woman who caught his eye, smiled, and stopped at the railing a short distance away. Of all the yukatas, hers was the most beautiful. It was the shade of a clear, blue sky. White and pink flowers made for a tasteful level of decoration, and the hot pink sash around her waist was adorned with the blue dragon charm he’d given her months ago. Her hair was tied in a bun to the side, and interwoven with faux cherry blossoms. 

Breathtaking. 

“Better go get her,” Dante said. “Before she changes her mind.”

After a simple greeting, in which everyone knew exactly where he was going, Vergil blinked passed them all and resisted the urge to wrap his arm around her. He’d never managed such a thing in public. Now, close to arguably the most people he had seen in years, he wasn’t about to start. Not because he didn’t want to… but…

“Hi Vergil,” She said as she held her hand out. He took it and, after a quick glance to confirm that his family was occupied, brought it to his lips. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, but her gaze never left his. Confidence; one of many things Vergil loved about her. “Sorry to drag you out here on such a busy day.” She glanced down at the crowd below them. Except this new spot was exactly in the middle of the pathway, and Vergil could finally see both the festival in the distance, and the way numerous cherry blossom petals had fallen to the ground in a beautiful display. For a moment, Vergil could imagine them walking through it together as she kicked up the petals in the way she would inevitably do when she was excited. Maybe some would even fall into her hair…

“If we go now,” She said, gently breaking him from his thoughts. “We could spend most of the day away from your family. Though…” Her eyes drifted to the commotion behind them. Nico and Nero were already fighting, with Kyrie shaking her head and talking to Trish behind them. Dante and Lady were up in front, with Dante glancing at Vergil far too often to be a coincidence. “I doubt we’ll be able to avoid them the entire day.”

“Unlikely,” Vergil said but the idea didn’t bother him as much now as it did a few minutes ago. “Lead the way.”

She giggled. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you say that.”

Vergil scowled, but it was quickly replaced by shock when she kissed his cheek. “Come on, Mr. Grump,” She said, her smile never fading. “I think you’ll be able to enjoy yourself at least a little bit.”

“Indeed,” Vergil agreed, earning another laugh as he allowed her to drag him away.


	13. Cherry Blossoms (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme #2 - Dreams

Vergil still remembered the first time his beloved appeared in his dreams. 

In a way, it went back to the first day they’d met. Apparently, she became a Devil Hunter after inheriting a family heirloom - a demon katana, of all things - from her father. And when Dante had introduced them, Vergil had been skeptical. How could this woman possibly handle a blade anywhere near as well as he did? How could she possibly hold her own against hordes of demons when she didn’t have their power herself? And how could Dante honestly think she and Vergil would possibly make a ‘good pair’? Was it just because she had the same sword as him?

Foolishness. All of it was.

Except… it wasn’t. It may have taken weeks (and weeks… and weeks…) for her to finally crack through whatever makeshift shell he was hiding behind, but she did. All it took was one day. One fight where she proved she proved she could fight without him. And, for whatever reason, that made him want to help her more. He didn’t understand it. Truly. Even now, he still wasn’t certain what had happened. One night, she was an annoying friend of Dante’s. The next, she was his mission partner and, a few months after that, something much more.

The first time he’d dreamed of her, Vergil knew it was all over. For a man plagued by nightmares, good dreams were difficult to come by. Most often, he dreamed he was lying in a field of flowers; an extension of the careful gardan his mother had grown over years of perseverance. But on that particular night, Eva wasn’t there. In her place, was his newfound companion. His future beloved, holding his head in her lap, humming a song he’d never heard before, and brushing her fingers through his hair as if she’d done it all her life. 

That was the moment he knew he could never let her go. 

Vergil had never told her about that dream, but they’d shared moments just as intimate since. But, after an hour wandering among the crowds, she led him to a secluded area beyond the chaos, and that memory returned to him again. A literal sea of petals scattered in all directions beneath trees that looked as if they hadn’t lost a single flower. And instead of letting his imagination run wild in silence, Vergil gently pulled her toward the grass instead of the convenient bench beside the koi pond. “Trust me,” he murmured, oddly unsure of himself. What exactly was he hoping to accomplish? If he let his guard down out here… even for a moment… something would come. Demons. Other humans. His brother. His son. Something would find them. And then what?

“Whatever is on your mind, my love,” She whispered as she squeezed his hand in reassurance. “You can trust me with it.”

Vergil said nothing, but finally paused to take a deep breath. “Humor me, then.”

“Of course.” 

Vergil dropped to the grass first, pulling her as gently as possible. She landed in his lap, arms wrapped around his neck with a small smile. “Well if its a kiss you want,” she said with a teasing grin. “You could’ve just asked.”

Vergil huffed as she slipped off his knee and onto the grass. “Rest,” He said. “And I’ll watch over you.”

_That’s what you said to me, my beloved._

She hummed in thought, her eyes never straying for his own. “I’m afraid this isn’t the easiest thing to move around in,” She said, but her eyes twinkled, as if she knew something he didn’t. “How about you rest instead?” She sat back on her knees and held her hand out in one of the most inviting gestures Vergil had ever seen. His mind raced for a response, but a ‘no’ never came to him. 

Then he realized he didn’t want it to. 

“You are very kind,” He whispered as he took her hand. She tugged at him gently - “Impatient, I see?” “Just trying to help, my dear” - and after another moment of silent pondering, Vergil finally, finally, let himself go. 

And this time, reality was much, much better than his dreams.


	14. Cherry Blossoms (Part Three)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: Childhood

By the time Vergil finally asked her out, he knew they were very different people. It was one of the many reasons he had waited so long, enduring endless months of teasing by everyone who knew about her, before taking her on their first date. 

For example, it took Vergil many months to talk about his childhood whereas it only took her about two weeks. He knew everything about her with a few simple questions. Her relationship (or lack thereof) with certain members of her family. What school she went to and the names of her closest friends. That time in elementary school when she tried to run up a slide, tripped, and broke two of her baby teeth. 

All the important stuff, really. 

But one thing stuck out to him more than her stories of childlike love, fears and mistakes; she never once asked him about his own past. A part of him thought she really should have at some point. Wasn’t it natural for someone like her to be curious about the person she was pouring her heart out to? 

But by focusing on her own past, Vergil realized she’d gotten much more than she would have asking him directly. Because the more stories she shared… the more he found reasons to tell his own. When she mentioned the day she helped her mother make a birthday cake, Vergil talked about the time Dante had thrown flour all over Sparda because it sounded fun. When she talked about learning how to dance, he mentioned his violin practices. And these conversations would go on and on, sometimes for hours. Just the two of them chuckling over fond memories and skirting around the ones they weren’t quite willing to share.

But at that moment, surrounded by cherry blossom petals and staring up at a clear blue sky, Vergil realized he’d never told her the truth. But why? He’d shared his personal sins, and she’d forgiven them all. The Qliphoth tree… the Temen-ni-gru… she’d made it a point to tell him it was all okay. To tell him that he was a new person now. She had ultimately been the one to convince him to let it all go and move on. And he had… he’d let it all go. He’d chosen to be with her instead of wallowing in his shame. 

“Did I ever tell you about my mother?” He said suddenly, keeping his eyes away from her gaze. He didn’t know why he was still nervous over such a thing. They were a couple. He trusted her more than anyone in the world, family excluded. Yet, the sheer thought of telling her his most painful memories…

“She is a part of many of the stories you’ve shared.” She said. “And I’ve always wished I could have met her.”

Vergil hesitated, but only for a moment. “I still remember,” He said. “The day she passed away.” 

At first, she said nothing. But the way her fingers kept running through his hair, and the gentle squeeze on his shoulder, told him she was listening. And, after another moment of contemplation, Vergil started to speak. He told her everything he could remember, only leaving out certain details that he believed didn’t need to be repeated. He told her what he was doing that day, and why he’d been alone. He told her what he’d found in the garden and how he thought he’d been abandoned. He told her how he’d awakened to his power, and how it had changed him. 

It wasn’t until he was done that he tilted his head back just enough to look at her. And, to his surprise, she was already looking down at him, with a small, sad, but understanding smile. “I love you, Vergil.”

Of all the things she could have said, that was not the one he expected. But it was the one that eased the tension in his body. The one that made him smile as he let himself relax again. And he may not have responded right away - it always took him some time - he knew that she understood… and that she knew just how much she meant to him.


	15. Cherry Blossoms (Part Four)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: Amulet

When Vergil and his beloved finally found their way back to the festival, all it took was a specialty jewelry merchant to make him remember their first anniversary. **  
**

It had been the first time Vergil had ever considered actually celebrating their relationship. The two were old enough (he felt, anyway) that monthly or even a six month anniversary was both unecessary and would give his family too many reasons to party. And, granted, that was only his justification after he’d realized he hadn’t thought about him, but she’d never said anything either, so surely she understood.

Though, in hindsight, he did have random gifts show up on seemingly random days… so maybe she was more aware of it than he thought.

Regardless, on this particular day, Vergil had planned to go home, make a reservation somewhere. Then, he wanted to (hopefully) buy a gift that was worthy of the 365 days she’d endured with him- and the hundreds of more days he hoped she’d stay. 

But, to his surprise, she was already at Devil May Cry, staring at the Devil Sword Dante with that look she always had when thinking deeply about something very important. Dante, meanwhile, was sitting across from her, feet propped up on the desk. Vergil’s eyes narrowed, as his brother’s boots were dangerously close to knocking the sword straight into her. But Dante just gave him that lazy grin and said “Heya, Verge!” He sighed as he leaned further back in his chair. “I would say you should go for a walk but…” Both sets of eyes drifted to Vergil’s beloved, but she was so lost in her world of thought that she had yet to acknowledge he was even there. And maybe it should have bothered him, but Vergil found it rather endearing. His beautiful blossom, so consumed by something she cared so deeply about that the rest of the world didn’t matter.

Of course, it had gotten her in trouble from time to time, but that wasn’t important. 

“What are you hoping to accomplish?”

She blinked once as she slowly turned toward him. Then, she jumped back in shock, her feet hitting the desk as she said, “Vergil!” and barely stopped herself from tumbling. Thankfully, Dante had the sense (and speed) to pull the sword back before she collided with it instead. “When did you get here?”

Dante snorted, Vergil ignored him. “Only recently,” He said as he glanced at the sword. “You do seem a bit distracted.”

She sighed. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

Vergil’s eyebrow shot up. “What?”

Her hand drifted toward the sword. A small glow radiated between them both, but she pulled away. “I was hoping some of this excess essence would be enough to break this sword apart temporarily, but I was uncertain if it would reform once I find what I’m looking for.”

“And that’s…”

“Your half of the amulet.” 

Vergil’s eyes widened. Dante nodded from the corner of Vergil’s eye. “We’ve both been thinking about it for the last week or so,” He said. “But we haven’t figured out how exactly to make it work.” He frowned as he jerked the sword upright to stare at it himself. “I’m not certain this thing will return to normal with only half an amulet. But!” He plopped it back down, and Vergil was shocked the desk didn’t shatter. “I’m willing to make that sacrifice if it’ll keep my big bro smiling.”

For a moment, Vergil just stared at him. But then, realizing that both of them were entirely sincere in their plans, he took a step back and nodded. "What have you thought of so far?"

"Vergil?" 

His eyes fluttered open as the tent full of hand-crafted jewelry returned. "My apologies," he said as he reached for the amulet around his neck. 

"You do seem a bit distracted," she teased as she gently lay a ring back onto a rack. "Thank you," she said to the shop owner. "These are all beautiful." The owner nodded as she finished with another customer. "You need to come see this," his blossom said. 

"See what?" 

"You're brother interrupted a play about himself." 

Vergil rolled his eyes. "Lead the way." 

But when she walked out of the tent, Vergil slipped a handful of cash to the craftswoman. "I'll take that one." 

"The one she was staring at?" 

"Yes." 

The woman chuckled. "I'll even throw in the wedding band " she winked. "Just in case."


	16. Cherry Blossoms (Part Five)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: Portals

It was Nero who first asked how Yamato’s portals worked, igniting a long and detailed conversation in which Vergil tried to explain something that even he didn’t understand. The two had argued for quite awhile, and Vergil was proud when it was a debate rather than a brawl. But their conversation eventually looped in Nico and Vergil’s blossom, both of which were fascinated by the concept of teleportation and were more than happy to insert their opinions. 

“Obviously demon magic is involved,” Nico said as she admired Yamato from a respectable distance. “The question then is… what exactly is it cutting through.”

“Reality, time, and space,” Vergil said.

Nico rolled her eyes. “Yes but how?”

“And how come I can’t do it?” Nero said. “I had it for years and that’s never a power that came up.”

“Better yet,” Nico said. “How the hell did you learn how to do it, V-man?”

Vergil paused, hand on Yamato’s hilt. “I just knew,” He said, his voice much quieter than normal. He didn’t like admitting that he wasn’t certain. He didn’t like thinking about the pain and darkness that had led to his retrieval of Yamato. He’d never even considered that he couldn’t have possibly known how to use that type of power. He’d never even considered it as a teen, despite learning everything he possibly could on Sparda and his power. And of course, his father could cross between worlds. How else would he have sealed Mundus away? But he’d always assumed it was a one-time thing.

And maybe it was.

“Other demons can open portals too,” his blossom said thoughtfully. “But aren’t theirs temporary?”

“They’re also a lot uglier,” Nero said. “Yamato’s is clean.”

Vergil snorted. “Would you expect anything less?”

Nero glared at him. “You’re cutting through reality, space and time, jackass.”

“Language.”

“Oh shut up.”

“Are you really cutting through time, though?” His blossom said. “Let's say you cut the portal open but leave it for an hour. When you step through, that hour still passed. So if you take that part out of the equation…”

“It’s still a conundrum,” Nico said. 

“It’s no different than teleporting,” she continued. “You’re just going a much larger distance.”

“And you can only go to places you’ve seen, right?” Nico said.

“In a way,” Vergil said. “I can reach any location that I know well enough.”

“Has the portal ever taken you to the wrong place?”

“No.”

“It could just be his control over Yamato,” Nero said, his voice oddly miserable. “I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

It was then that, almost without thinking, Vergil flipped Yamato in his hand and held it out to Nero. “Try it,” He said. “Imagine a place you want to go. Anywhere in the world, then slice the air just as you’ve seen me do it.”

Nero stared at him. “Are you crazy?”

“It’s a good idea,” His beloved said with an encouraging smile. “You’ve had a bond with Yamato in the past too, right? So if you’re able to make a portal, then it proves that the power is more centralized around those who can use the sword, not necessarily the power of the person.”

Vergil offered it again. “If anyone can make such a thing,” Vergil said. “It’s you.”

And Nero had made a portal that day. It had been a little off course, ending up about a mile away from home instead of right on top of it, but it was better than Vergil could have hoped for. And for every day after that, Nero practiced his portal making. And little by little, he improved. His positioning was better. His portal cutting was cleaner. And, after weeks and weeks of practice, it was Nero who took them to the train station; a location he’d only seen once or twice while driving by. He hadn’t been quite confident enough to take them to the festival itself - especially with so many people watching- but he had proudly stepped out of that portal he made, only handing Yamato back to Vergil when he realized he’d started tossing it in celebration. 

And seeing that growth, mixed with his son’s elation at improving at such a thing, made Vergil wonder if it was time for him to pass Yamato on. He didn’t know how old he was supposed to be to inherit it himself, as he’d never gotten the chance to live that normal life. But surely, after everything he’d done, passing on his legacy to someone like Nero… to his son that deserved it more than Vergil 

“Vergil!”

Vergil blinked before his gaze met hers, only to find himself showered with a handful of cherry blossom petals, many of which clung to him on the way down. Her eyes lit up with excitement. “I’ve never done something like that before,” She said with a giggle as she reached to brush the petals out of his hair. “It’s a good look on you.”

Vergil huffed, but couldn’t resist giving her a small smile in response. “My apologies, my lovely blossom,” he murmured. “It seems I’ve had a lot on my mind today.”

“Good things?”

Vergil paused, considering his response. But as more petals fell from the trees, and the wind blew Yamato against his hip, he nodded. 


	17. Cherry Blossoms (Part Six)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: Familiars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay! Two chapters today because I goofed and forgot I hadn't posted it here! Sorry again >.<

Vergil never truly forgot his familiars, and he didn’t think he ever would. Griffon, Shadow, Nightmare… they were all a crucial part in making the person he was today. They were a reminder of the man he could have become or, quite possibly, the man he should have been all along. And with them came memories of V- the human that Vergil had within him for decades and never knew. The side he’d rejected thinking it unworthy of his time or attention.

V was ultimately the side that had fallen in love with his beloved. Not literally, of course. She knew of the events of the Qliphoth, but she never met the man himself. But Vergil knew now that his demon half could never have managed the overwhelming care and protectiveness for her that Vergil himself felt now. 

The memories of his familiars were also crucial in his gradual recovery. He still had nightmares. His thoughts still strayed to the days when he was nothing but a puppet; a man trapped in a suit not meant for him. But whenever these thoughts tried to get the better of him, Vergil remembered how Shadow would lie on his lap until they went away. He recalled how Griffon would tease him until he forgot it entirely. He even remembered the day nightmare had summoned himself, just to put Vergil on his shoulder until all the pain went away. 

And if his familiars had taught him anything, it was how to help the others in his life who struggled just as much as he did. People like his beloved blossom, who faced one of her greatest life challenges just a month after he asked her on their first date. 

He’d gotten the call at 2am; something she had never done before. Vergil was awake in an instant, phone in hand as he slipped outside ready to portal wherever she needed. “What’s wrong?” He said, hoping that his assumption was wrong and he could merely scold her for being up this late.

His heart sank when she, in a quiet whisper, said, “My parents are dead, Vergil.”

“What?”

“Both of them… passed away two hours ago.” She choked on a sob. “They were....” She trailed off. “I need you here. “Please…. I… can’t.”

The second she broke down, the portal was open. He didn’t bother with the front door, choosing to teleport himself straight into her living room. He found her sobbing in front of the couch, tears streaming down her cheeks. Vergil tossed Yamato onto the couch as he knelt beside her. He stopped short of wrapping his arms around her, frozen by his own concern. Was it right for him to comfort her like that? Was he supposed to stand back and wait? 

Ask her, Griffon’s voice echoed in his head. “Don’t waste your time if you’re not willing to find out.”

Finally, Vergil said, “What do you need from me?”

She was quiet for a moment as she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face as far as it could go. But Vergil heard her quiet voice. “I don’t know… but I need you here.”

Finally, Vergil wrapped his arms around her. She fell against him, hands on his coat as she sobbed into his chest. And Vergil simply cradled her, his thoughts trailing to the days that Shadow slept beside him, paws pressing against his chest until he came back to the world.

“I’m here,” He said firmly as he rest his chin on the top of her head. “And here I will stay as long as you will have me.”

She hadn’t responded then, but she hadn’t needed to. And Vergil had stayed. Not just for that night, but for everything she’d needed. He’d helped her talk to investigators every time they showed up at her door. He’d gone to the funeral and encouraged her to write a heartfelt eulogy, beliving she was the only one who could do it. He’d shielded her from those who wanted to profit off of her misery, and he’d held her every night. Even after it all started to fade - even after she began to accept what had happened, Vergil had stayed. 

And she had stayed with him, despite the tales of what he’d done and the pain he’d gone through. They had been there for each other, far more than he’d ever dreamed of. 

“Look what I found!”

Her voice pulled him back to the festival as his eyes drifted back to hers. They widened the second she held out a small, black stuffed animal. With the sewn, beady red eyes, the little cat’s appearance was uncanny. Vergil could imagine a little shadow curled up in the arms of his beloved. “I know it’s a little childish,” She said, blushing. “But I remembered those stories you told me and I just..” She bit her lip as her eyes strayed to the entrance. A large family wandered into the tent, and Vergil didn’t miss the way her heart skipped a beat as anxiety took over. 

He shifted toward her; a shield from the rest of the world. “Breathe,” He murmured as he brushed the ears of the little black cat. “Hold her close, and it will all go away.”

Although it took a moment, she took a deep breath, pulled the cat tight against her chest and exhaled all her worries. Relief flooded through him when she smiled again. “I’ll take good care of her, just as she did you.”


	18. Cherry Blossoms (Part Seven)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: Dancer

It was the end of the day when Vergil and his beloved met up with his family again, which- considering how rambunctious they still were- had to be some kind of miracle. He was still genuinely surprised that Dante hadn’t tracked him down at some point in the day or demanded he wander over to the rickety old fair down the street. And the few times he’d seen Nero, Nico, or Kyrie, the first two had been arguing over something that was clearly vital to the fate of humanity (why else would they completely ignore him?). Kyrie had noticed, but she’d just nodded at them both and returned to her dorky duo. 

Now, they had found a mostly private spot across a lake from the festivities. Two of Kyrie’s homemade blankets were laid out beside each other. Both had two baskets that Vergil knew were full of pre wrapped sandwiches, bags of chips, and water bottles. 

It was Nero who beckoned them over, shooing the kids off to play. “Good day?” He said as Kyrie brought them dinner. 

“I like to think so!” Vergil’s blossom said cheerfully as she unwrapped her sandwich. She let little Shadow fall into her lap, unashamed. “We got to see everything at least!”

Nero snorted. “Even Dante’s acting?” 

She giggled. “Only a little bit.”

“And it was magnificent,” Dante said as he plopped down behind them with a bottle of beer. “You should have seen how excited the crowd was.”

“Most of them tried booing you off the stage!” 

“And they did so excitedly.”

Nero rolled his eyes, muttering something along the lines of ‘you’re hopeless’ as he turned his attention back to Kyrie. 

And then the music started. It was quiet at first. A gentle thump from the main festival across the way. But everyone in his family froze as their eyes drifted back toward it. And as the rather infuriating sound got louder and louder, it was Dante who leapt to his feet. “Party time!”

Nico and the children were the only ones to follow him willingly. The others all looked at each other in a strange mix of wariness and confusion. But then Dante and the kids begged Kyrie to join, and the metaphorical floodgates swung wide open. After that, everyone - save for Vergil and his blossom- were dancing in the most nonsensical ways. Sometimes, they came together in a strange circle. Other times they formed their own random shapes. Some were much more enthused than others, but they all had one thing in common - not a single one tried to pull Vergil or his beloved in. 

Vergil assumed between his glower and her well-known latent anxiety that not even Dante would attempt such a monument task. 

And maybe Vergil should have been embarrassed. But… he wasn’t. Sure, he would happily look upon them in disdain and make sure that Dante didn’t yank him into the “festivities”. But the sheer looks of joy on every one’s faces, and the presence of his beloved (who also had no desire to join in such things) was more than enough. It did, however, make him painfully aware of how impossibly heavy the gift in his pocket felt, and he knew he couldn’t hold on to it for much longer. 

Then, soft music echoed across the water. The erratic dancing of his family slowed to a similar cadence, and pairs began to split off. Nero and Kyrie sent the kids away to sit in the grass together. Nico ended up with Trish, prattling on about all her new ideas and what she wanted to get done. And Dante gave a very obvious thumbs up in Vergil’s direction before wandering away with a very excited Lady. “What was that all about?” His blossom asked, her wide eyes glittering in the pale moonlight. 

Vergil took her hand, pulling them both to their feet. “It seems he knows what I’ve been planning,” Vergil said. Or he’s just guessing, He thought, but he didn’t say it. Dante usually had some intuition on these sorts of things, so it really shouldn’t have surprised him. And if he were a bit more petty he could wait just to rile up the younger twin. But Vergil himself was running out of patience, and only one thing could fix it. 

“Three years,” He said quietly as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t pull away. “Three years since we met.”

“More or less,” She said with a gentle smile. “But this does seem like a good day for an anniversary.”

“Yes,” Vergil said as he reached into his pocket. His heart hammered in his chest, drowning out everything else. He could feel the muscles in his legs all seize at once, furious at the very idea of what he wanted to do. But he took a long, deep breath - the same thing he would do in any other potentially stressful situation - brushed Yamato for good measure, and lowered himself to one knee. “But I have a much more important question.”

She stared at him. And, for the briefest of moments, Vergil thought she was about to run away. He was painfully aware that everyone in the family was watching them now, and knew without a doubt that Dante had mentioned this could happen in passing. But, Vergil calmly said what he needed; “Will you marry me?”

For a brief moment, he thought she might say no. But then she burst into tears and barrelled into him all in a motion so fast that they both tumbled into the grass. Cheers echoed from all directions as she burst into laughter, lifting her eyes to meet his. 

“Of course,” She said as she pressed her forehead to his. “I’ll always be here for you.”

And when she kissed him- despite the family and the friends and the random passer-bys - Vergil responded in kind.


	19. "Stars" (Vergil/Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: Stars

“Do you ever think about how small we are compared to the rest of the universe?”

Vergil blinked, taking a moment to stare into the salad he was making before looking to his blossom in what he hoped was anything but confusion. “What?” He said as he reached for the cheese in an attempt to remain as casual as possible. His blossom, who had just finished cooking the grilled chicken for dinner, was staring out the window with a curious look of longing. And when Vergil glanced out of the window himself, he realized it was the first time in a long while that the stars were bright and plentiful. With all the terrible weather, he’d almost forgotten how beautiful the night sky could be. 

“Just imagine,” She said. “Each one of those stars bigger than our planet... some bigger than our own sun.” She tilted her head and closed her eyes in thought. “We’re just specks compared to that.”

This wasn’t the first time she had dwelled on questions of life and the universe, and Vergil was certain it wouldn’t be the last. Her wild imagination was equal parts incredible and infuriating, but he’d learned how to manage it over the years. Before, he spent most of his time confused and exasperated at such questions. Now, he’d figured out how to respond. “Technically,” He said. “We’re nothing but specs on this planet as is.”

She chuckled as her gaze met his. “How cool would it be to see a star up close? You know, without the whole “burning alive or suffocating in the vast darkness of space” deal.”

Vergil snorted. “Do you not remember our first date?”

“Of course I do!” She said. “Neither of us had been to a planetarium before, so we just wandered around for hours.”

His gaze softened at the memory. It had been the first time out with her that he actually called a date. The visits to the coffee shops and libraries were simply friendly and convenient outings. The planetarium though... 

“You know,” His blossom said. “Our anniversary is coming up. Maybe we should go back! I heard they have a new movie attraction that is rumored to take you to the edge of space itself.” She waved her hand in a wide arc. “Breathtaking.”

Vergil hummed in thought as he took her hand and pulled her close. “If it makes you smile, my star, then I will happily go with you to the metaphorical edge of the universe.”

Her eyes sparkled like the same stars that had drawn her attention in the first place. “I love you, Vergil.”

He kissed her forehead, for his sparkling star needed no other response.


	20. Illness (Vergil/Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little bit self-indulgent. Not really in the happy-go-lucky way, but more in the “I need to get some emotions off my chest and writing does that for me” way. Hope you enjoy the angst regardless. Very little editing has been done.

Vergil wasn’t supposed to get sick. Not him. Not the one you loved so much. 

It should have been impossible. He never got sick. He couldn’t get sick. His demon form was meant to wash that all away. It was why he could stay with you through every stomachache, flu, cold, and the million other small things in between. It was why he had spent so much time at your house when others had to stay away. All of those times you’ve fallen prey to some tragic, human illness, he’d be there. 

Now there he was, a broken mess before you. All because you had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now he was dying because you hadn’t seen the demon’s curse until it was too late. Your beloved Vergil. Pale. Ice cold. Coughing every few minutes. Eyes glazed over. Every once and awhile, you saw him panic. You could practically feel his heart racing when he did so, no matter how desperately he tried to hide it from the others. From _you._

But of course it didn’t work.

You knew him too well. 

But all you could do was sit by his side and pretend that you had everything together.

What a joke that was.

“Be strong,” They kept saying. “He’ll make it through this.” But how could one, measly human such as yourself be stronger than the man before you? How could you hope to match everything he’d given you over the years? How could you keep your mind from fraying when he was the one holding it together?

But then, when you two were alone, he took your hand and looked you straight in the eye. Vergil hadn’t responded to anyone in days. This was the first time he’d acknowledged your existence since he took the attack meant for you. And though his eyes were gray with the illness, you saw nothing but a steely determination. 

“We will make it through this, my blossom.”

You had cried then, your head landing on his chest. And, as he ran his fingers through his hair, you knew that somehow, someday, this would all be okay.


	21. "Everything's Alright" (Vergil/Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flip side of Illness that I bumped a few days ago, and a request. Both of these have been great outlets for all the things that have been going on. I do have more non-sickness related drabbles on the way, so I hope you look forward to those.
> 
> Requests are open on my [Tumblr](https://zenithlux.tumblr.com/) if that's something that interests you. I've got a new set of Hanami Week type drabbles coming very soon, so I'll see ya'll then :)

She wasn’t supposed to get sick. 

Vergil didn’t understand what had gone so wrong. They’d done everything right. He’d kept her inside for months, ensuring that he was the only one who went out for He’d obsessively washed his hands, even though there was no proof the virus could survive on his body. He’d sanitized everything in the house an absurd amount of times, even resorting to waiting until she fell asleep so she wouldn’t tease him over it. And when she did finally go outside, he’d gotten everything for her. Mask. Gloves. Long sleeved shirts. Comfortable pants. Boots. Covered from head to toe and standing right beside him the entire time. No one dared get near. Vergil made certain of that. 

It all started with a fever; 100 degrees on the dot. She’d managed to sleep that off with some Tylenol, but Vergil knew immediately that something was wrong. For the first two days, she did nothing but sleep. She refused to eat anything, saying she was “nauseous” or “not hungry”. And while Vergil had accepted this - for he really didn’t understand human illnesses as well as he should - the less she ate, the more he worried. 

Vergil quickly learned that he was the worst kind of worrier. Every little thing became a huge problem. That one time she threw up felt like the end of the world. Every cough was louder than anything else in the world. Every time she gasped for air - the few times that it happened - triggered that instinct where he rushed to her side regardless of what he was doing. 

Vergil had never processed the term “panic” before. He’d probably felt it once or twice over the years he’d glossed over. But this was something else. This was torture. And the longer it went on, the longer he thought he would lose his mind.

Then, one day, as he paced the room at the foot of her bed, she said. “Vergil… come here please.”

He’d stopped dead in his tracks, his demonic senses homing in on everything he could. Her breathing seemed normal. Her heartbeat was regular. She’d been sleeping for a few hours now, so he should probably check her temperature again. But then she smiled, despite her half-open eyes and weariness. When he came closer, his heart nearly broke at the strain it took for her to lift her hand and place it in his. 

“The worst has passed my love,” She whispered. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“You don’t know…”

“Shhh…” She said, her voice a whisper. She reached towards his forehead, and Vergil leaned forward until her fingers brushed through his hair. “All I need right now is you.”

Vergil knew what she meant. Not the frantic, uncontrollably worried him. But the calm, soothing, and unflinching him. The kind of Vergil that could sit by her side and just be there. She shivered as his fingers ran carefully up her arm and wrapped around her hand. She watched him as he moved it to his lips, kissing the inside of her palm before lowering it back to the bed. Her gaze didn’t waiver as he shed his jacket and slid under the covers beside her, pulled her close, and let himself relax. 

“I’m right here,” He said as she adjusted herself to lay more comfortably against his chest. “And here I will stay.”


	22. Lap (Vergil/Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was mentioned on Tumblr that people want to sit in Vergil's lap. And its my birthday. Therefore, here's this small, goofy drabble to celebrate it.

_“Everything about this is moronic,”_ Vergil thought. 

Too bad he hadn’t thought of that _before_ he let Dante get him drunk. 

Granted, Vergil hadn’t realized just how little it would take for him to do such a thing, but that wasn’t important. 

What was important, was _you_ standing right in front of him, hands clasped in front of you as he stared at him with cloudy eyes. Your cheeks were bright red, and your eyes a bit bloodshot. You clearly still had your wits about you (most of them, at least), but you weren’t quite sober enough to ignore Dante’s incessant teasing from the corner. 

_Go ask him,_ Dante had said at some point. _What’s the worst that could happen._

Unfortunately, Vergil had missed what exactly Dante was trying to convince you to do. He’d been too distracted by whatever his son was doing with the much younger crowd below them. Then, when he realized he’d been staring at all of them like the weird, old man he probably looked like (honestly, they were a bit too old for this “club” in his opinion) he looked away and met eyes with you.

“Yes?”

You took a deep breath before you started talking. “Dante says if I can convince you to do _something_ that we get to choose what he eats for the next two weeks.”

Vergil’s eyebrow shot up. “Let me guess; he won’t let you tell me what it is?”

“Nope.”

“And he thinks I’m drunk enough to do whatever it is?”

Your face flushes a bit more. He had a feeling that if you tried to walk away, you’d stumble and land flat on your face. Or that would _almost_ happen, he was (fairly) confident that even in his half-inebriated state he could still catch you. “Nope,” You said. “He thinks that you’ll never agree to it or shove me away before I have a chance.”

_Shove me away._ How clever you were, sneaking in hints just for him. He would appreciate it more if the world wasn’t spinning. “Fine,” He says. “I won’t stop you.” You blink, as if you don’t quite believe him. So, he leans forward and lowers his voice. “Imagine no pizza for two weeks.”

You smile at that as you take another step forward. “Imagine the possibilities.” Your words were slurring now, but he was certain you knew what you were doing. “Olives on everything.”

Vergil chuckles. “I bet he didn’t think he’d have to worry about you.”

“Probably not.”

Vergil leaned back in his seat. Now, he was certain the alcohol was getting to him. Dante wasn’t _entirely_ wrong. He wasn’t quite drunk enough to agree to anything. But this was _you,_ the woman he trusted with much more than Dante was likely aware of at this point in your very private relationship. But clearly he knew _something_ or he wouldn’t be asking you to do this in the first place. 

“Well?” Vergil said. “What are you-”

Then you sat in his lap. 

Vergil felt his eyes go wide, once again blaming the alcohol for his inability to hide his surprise. Your face turned a darker shade of red as you wrapped your arms around his neck and laid your head against his chest. In the corner of his eye, he saw Dante’s face pale, and Vergil’s tension melted away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around you and grinned in Dante’s direction, not caring what he looked like anymore. “You know,” He murmured. “You didn’t need to get me drunk for _this.”_

You glared at him, but you were significantly less threatening with that deep blush on your cheeks. “True,” You said with a light shrug and a coy smile. “But now you _know_ you like it.”

His eyes narrowed, and Dante’s laughter almost drowned out everything else in the room. 


	23. One and Only (Yandere!Vergil/Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a request for a Yandere!Vergil story. I'd never written one before, so this was a fun challenge to tackle! 
> 
> Hope Ya'll enjoy :)

The moment Vergil saw her, he knew she was the one. But considering how he’d never felt such a revelation before- except maybe that one time he didn’t want to think about - he had no idea what to do with it. 

He wasn’t entirely certain why he felt this way. It could be her general personality; bubbly and upbeat, but serious when she needed to be (which was often when one was saddled with Dante as much as she was). Maybe it was her physique, as he would be lying if he said she wasn’t attractive. Maybe it was the way she smiled and laughed around him as if it were perfectly normal and he wasn’t some terrible demon who’d murdered hundreds of thousands of people. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the way he’d gotten lost in her eyes twice now, and she’d had the audacity (and confidence) to  _ tease  _ him over it. 

All he knew for certain was that he needed her in his life. And not just as a friend. That was good enough for Dante maybe, but not Vergil. No, Vergil wanted to make her fall in love with him.

Things had started off innocent enough. As one of Morrison’s agents, she was a frequent caller of Devil May Cry, and Dante himself spent a large amount of time visiting her for payment and the like. Of course, Vergil knew that Dante was growing tired of it, as he much preferred kicking back and letting everyone else work around him. So, in an effort to help his little brother, Vergil innocently suggested that he deal with all communications between her and Devil May Cry. Dante was thrilled that Vergil was looking to take a more “active role in the business”. She agreed to the new arrangement, and, as far as Vergil knew, both were none the wiser. 

Now, he saw her almost every day, usually at night, though he learned very quickly that he got much better results if he visited early in the morning. That was an easy enough fix as, unlike Dante, Vergil enjoyed being up early. So instead of showing up whenever he felt like it, Vergil scheduled his visits; after nine am, but before noon with at least thirty minutes to spare. She too seemed to appreciate his attention to detail, as she seemed much more enthusiastic (and awake) during those meetings. It also made the occasional night visit much more bearable, as she always assumed it was Dante demanding the late night payment - a lie Vergil had never bothered to correct. 

Once the two had established a suitable rapport, Vergil transitioned to learning absolutely everything he could about her. Full name. Age. Hobbies. Her favorite food, drinks, color, time of day and season. Whether or not she had or was interested in owning any pets. What kind of house she lived in and whether or not she was looking for something else. Anything that was even remotely important, Vergil found out about it. Most of it had been through both observation and casual conversation. Her “office” was a tiny room in her apartment, and she had no qualms with letting him inside whenever he asked. It also helped that she was very forthcoming with information of all kinds, and Vergil did his best to sprinkle in personal questions with as much care as he possibly could. Sometimes, when she left him alone for just the right amount of time, he helped himself to the various pictures on the wall, books on her bookshelf, or a million other things that painted a picture of this woman he was still getting to know. 

But no matter what he did, Vergil remained as subtle as possible, lest she flee before he had a chance to make his move.

And after four months of this rigorous schedule, Vergil knew things were going well. He didn’t miss the coy smiles and her shameless attempts at flirting (she really wasn’t very good at it, but it was the thought that counted). He saw the gentle touches she reached for, and allowed just enough to keep her interested. A month after that, she started sending him small gifts; dark chocolate he’d subtly mentioned liking, cards with special bookmarks or a gift card. A fruit basket filled with strawberries (he’d been rather pleased by that one). She’d even given him a small stuffed animal, and it took Vergil far too long to realize that she must have slept with it before giving it away, as it smelled so strongly of her that it drove him wild. And he’d returned the gesture with one of his own. 

He hadn’t missed the way her eyes had widened when she held thatstuffed, black cat; a memento of the one she’d lost two weeks before they met. Or the way she’d attempted to discreetly smell it for the cologne he’d generously doused it with- another gift of hers that he used so often that even Dante had started to notice. 

By the eight month mark, Vergil knew he’d ensnared her completely. Sure, to her they were just really close friends. She was, after all, still in a relationship. A poor one- that  _ boy  _ treated her terribly - but one all the same. All Vergil needed was a little push. Something drastic that would have her swooning in his arms for the rest of her days. 

And, after another few weeks of waiting - more days spent in and around her apartment- Vergil found his opportunity. 

It was during a walk; one he forced her on after he found her alone in her office with bags under her eyes with the blinds all closed in the middle of the day. She hadn’t said much, though what little she had given him was more than enough for him to know what had happened. “Break-up,” She had muttered. “Fucker’s been cheating on me for months.”

“ _ Language,”  _ was what Vergil thought. “Pity,” is what he actually said. He had met her ‘boyfriend’ (if one could call a man so absent from her life such a thing) only twice. The two had not gotten along. “He’s not worth your time.”

She kicked at a rock and sighed. “I really should have known.”

“Yes you probably should have.” Vergil said. “And you’re much too good for him.”

He saw the flicker of a smile before she glared at him. “Is that jealousy I hear?”

“You are walking with me, are you not?”

“You dragged me out here.”

“You needed sunlight.”

She scowled and looked away. “I was doing just fine, thank you.”

“You were mooping.”

“And I had it down to a science.”

“You need your exercise.” 

“Why?” She said. “Why do you care so much?

Vergil spun on her, backing her gently against the brick wall. “It’s simple really.” He said. “No one deserves you.” He said. “No one but me.”

Her eyes widened as she took a step back. But he followed her, right against the brick wall “Why are you so…” She trailed off, but Vergil could hear the word  _ protective  _ nearly roll off her tongue. Or maybe  _ aggressive  _ or  _ obsessed _ . He wasn’t certain, but it didn’t matter. Her eyes were wide, but not scared. Her mouth was partially open, but more in surprise than horrified shock. Her pupils were blown wide. Not with anxiety… but with something else entirely. Vergil could smell it… the sweet scent of desire. “That’s why you’ve been around me so much.”

“Maybe.”

“He blamed you, you know.”

“Good.”

“So technically, you’re the reason we broke up.”

“Even better.”

“Vergil…”

He took another step forward, pinning her against the brick wall. One hand fell beside her head. The other gently grabbed her chin, tilting it until she was looking straight at him. “You’re mine,” He growled as he stared down at her like a lion stalking its prey. “All mine.”

After a moment, her weary expression turned to a confident grin. “All yours,” She repeated in a way that made Vergil return her smile with a soft, almost feral smirk of his own. 

“Good girl.”


	24. Stray Hearts 1 "Irritated" (Vergil/Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another Hanami Week style story (seven drabbles, one story), this time requested by @veenus-ow on Tumblr! 
> 
> Hope ya'll enjoy!

The first time Vergil met her, he knew they weren’t going to get along.

He had tolerated her as V, only because she was apparently a good friend of Dante’s. Sure, he’d worked with her for a time, as Dante was the only one who could even reach Urizen. And he had been rather impressed with how driven and well-organized she had been. V didn’t have much issue with another human. But Vergil, who was still trying to get the hang of the whole “I need to be a better person” thing, found her annoying. She was a prime example of what he’d been trying to avoid. 

And now that they had returned from the Underworld, Vergil had no choice but to accept that she was going to be a part of his life until the day Dante kicked her out. And since the younger twin had made it clear in no uncertain terms that that would  _ never  _ happen, Vergil wasn’t holding his breath.

Granted, Vergil could leave at any time… 

Except, he really couldn’t. Dante would never let him… and Vergil had nowhere to go. He wasn’t ready to live near Nero yet, nor was he particularly ready to go out on his own. What would he do if he did? He was dead by society’s standards, which made finding a job, learning to drive, or really anything impossible. Dante was working on fake paperwork, but they both knew how long that would take. He was somewhat humbled by the fact that he really wasn’t good at anything but demon hunting. All of his book knowledge didn’t save him from his lack of social skills or inexperience in this new and very different world. 

Twenty years was a very, very long time.

So, in the end, all Vergil had (other than his brother) was  _ her.  _ Because of course  _ he’d  _ get saddled with the weak, little human who acted stronger than she was, talked far too much, and had developed a strange interest in  _ him.  _

“They should be around here somewhere,” She muttered, probably more to herself than him. 

“That is likely why we were called here,” he said.

She rolled her eyes in his general direction. “And how many fake calls have we had in the last two weeks?”

“Seven,” Vergil said. “And  _ we  _ only went to investigate because  _ you  _ believe every call we get.”

“You can never be too careful.”

“A behemoth in the city center and not a single person in the area saw it?” Vergil said. 

“That’s a very serious demon to fight if it had been real,” 

“A portal full of  _ monkey demons?”  _

“Imagine what Nico would have given for a pack of  _ those  _ to examine. .”

“You’re too gullible,” Vergil snapped.

“And you have a stick up your ass.”

Vergil stopped short, clenching his jaw to keep it from dropping. She kept walking, either oblivious or ignoring him completely. No… not oblivious. He knew from their short experiences together that she was very,  _ very  _ aware of what was going on around her. No… she was strutting away like a woman who had won something. 

“Don’t think that will last,” Vergil muttered under his breath.

“Come on, Vergil,” she yelled back as she turned a corner. “Best not to keep the demons waiting!”

Vergil scowled as she disappeared.  _ You may have won this battle,  _ He thought stubbornly.  _ But you won’t win the war.  _


	25. Stray Hearts 2 - "Questioning"

It was six months before Vergil finally decided he needed to learn more about her if he wanted to win this game. That’s all this curiosity was; a necessity. Know thy enemy. Win the war. 

But he hesitated. Not because he was scared (never that), but because he knew (from experience) that things would not be that simple. Every time he bothered to ask a personal question, no matter how small it seemed, she would turn it right back at him. If he didn’t answer, then she didn’t. And that was possibly more infuriating than everything else she’d done over the last however many months they’d known each other. So, Vergil knew he had to plan ahead. He needed to figure out what to ask that wouldn’t give too much of himself away while learning everything he needed to about her. He also had to wait for the rare day that Dante left Devil May Cry, as the last thing Vergil needed was his annoying brother taking over the conversation. 

So, when Dante _finally_ decided that Vergil was worthy enough (his words, not Vergil’s) to leave alone with Buttercup (Vergil _never_ called her that), Vergil found his chance. And a few hours into the almost pure silence between them, and while she was distracted organizing Dante’s ever growing mound of papers, Vergil struck.

“I’ll make a deal with you.”

She nearly toppled at the sound of his voice, much to Vergil’s amusement. “What for?” She said as she kicked the file cabinet shut and leaned back in Dante’s chair. 

“I’ll ask you a question,” Vergil said. “And if you answer honestly, I will answer the same question in return.”

She snorted. “That’s a lot of words for ‘I want to get to know you’”. 

Vergil scowled. “I believe it was you who said we should learn more about each other to be more efficient in combat.”

That time, she rolled her eyes. “I suggested that we talk once and awhile, yes.”

“Then here’s your chance.”

She crossed her arms and sighed. “Fine, but we’re playing by my rules.”

 _Playing?_ How could she possibly know the score Vergil was keeping in his head? “And what rules are those?”

“Every question you ask,” She said as she put one finger in the air. “I get to ask one in return.”

Infuriating. That was the only way to describe her. “Were you not listening?”

“Yes and that’s silly,” She said. “Why should I only get to ask the questions that you pick?” She shook her head. “That’s unfair in about every way I can imagine.”

Vergil’s scowl turned to a frown. “Then I get to choose which answers I give.”

“Same here.”

“But that’s…”

“Not what you want?” She said. “Not everything is about you, Vergil Sparda.”

He glared at her, trying to ignore the small amount of heat that rushed to his cheeks. “Why do you insist on using my full name.”

It wasn’t until she grinned that he realized his mistake. “Interesting first question,” She hopped out of Dante’s chair and plopped on the couch a bit too close for Vergil’s liking. Though, if he were honest with himself, _anywhere_ on the couch was closer than he wanted anyone else to be, so that wasn’t saying much. “A: because I know it gets under your skin and B: because I know you prefer it.”

“Prefer it?”

“Two questions already?”

He scowled. “Then that should count as one for you.”

Her smile never wavered. “Sure I’ll count it. And I see how you react to Dante’s nicknames.”

Vergil swallowed his surprise. “Perceptive.”

“Of course,” She said. “I’m living with two half-demons that can quite literally sense every emotion I’m feeling without even trying. I have to pay attention to keep up,” She shrugged. “I won’t count that.”

“It wasn’t a question.”

“Indeed.”

Another glare as Vergil prepared for the worst. “Yours then.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

If he were Dante, he would’ve fallen right off the couch. Though he also wouldn’t be having this conversation to begin with, so maybe it didn’t matter. “That’s your question?”

“Yep!” She held up two fingers. “And now I get another one.” She shook her head with a chuckle. “You’re not very good at this game, are you?”

“And that’s a question for me.”

When she laughed, her eyes seemed to sparkle. _Curious,_ Vergil thought. Had they always been like that? He couldn’t remember. Had he even heard her laugh before? Yes, he quickly decided. Dante made her laugh all the time. 

Why did that bother him?

“So?” She said. “Got an answer? And no, that doesn’t count.”

“Blue,” He said. “Figured it was obvious.”

“Purple for me,” She said. “Turquoise if I’m feeling fancy.” Her head tilted ever so slightly as she met his gaze again. “Your turn.”

Vergil’s mouth went dry, but he shoved any misgivings away. Two could play at this game. “Favorite food?”

“Crispy chicken Caesar salad,” She said. “You?”

“... Crispy chicken sandwiches.”

“Huh,” She said. “Why?”

He let that one slide. “It was my mother’s favorite dinner to make.”

“Makes sense,” She said. Her smile faltered just slightly. “Mine’s just… healthy.”

Vergil thought he should have some other response for that, but nothing came to him. Instead, he said, “Where did you learn to fight?”

“That was technically my turn you know,” She said with a shake of her head. “My father taught me.” She eyed her over-used and slowly rusting sword in the corner. “I haven’t been able to buy a new weapon though.”

“You’ve made plenty off _our_ missions.”

She shook her head. “Dante asks for most of it. And who knows what happens if you get between the devil and his pizza.”

Vergil’s eyes narrowed. He’d have to talk to his brother about “abusing the help”. Besides, if anyone had the right to the extra money from these missions, it would be the brother that was forced to go on all of them with her. But Vergil would do that. The poor woman was already stuck in a room across from Dante’s for the foreseeable future. Surely she had plans to leave, even if Dante kept denying it. 

“Why do you stay here?”

There was a long pause before she answered. “Dante’s my friend,” She said. “I met him after the whole Temen-ni-gru thing… and we just hit it off.” She shrugged. “He was really lonely back then, and it got even worse after his job on Mallet Island. I started living with him after that.”

“Have you two…” Vergil trailed off.

“Been a thing?”

“I suppose.”

She chuckled. “Honestly? No. It’s never crossed my mind.” She leaned back into the couch and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m not sure if he’s ever thought about it. At least, he’s never brought it up with me,” Her eyes closed, and Vergil found he _wanted_ her to keep talking. Was he actually _enjoying_ this conversation? How? Wasn’t it meant to be an interrogation? Wasn’t _he_ meant to be in control? “But now… We’ve been friends for almost twenty years and this is the happiest I’ve ever seen him. In the end, I guess all he needed was his brother back.” 

A shrill ring startled them both. She moved first, tossing the desk’s phone into the air before hopping onto the desk and grabbing it. It was all very dramatic, but Vergil found he was rather impressed. “Devil May Cry,” She said. Vergil heard a garbled, loud voice before she frowned and said, “Sure, I’ll be there in a bit.” She hung up and slid off the desk. 

“Where are you going?” Vergil said. 

“A job,” She said as she grabbed her sword and strapped it to her back. “Don’t worry. He said it wasn’t that bad.”

Vergil blocked her path. “Where?”

“I thought you hated me?”

Vergil blinked. “I don’t…” He trailed off as her grin returned. 

“Checkmate,” She said with a wink. “Now Dante owes me two weeks of backpay.”

“... What?”

She laughed. “I'll tell you later.” 


	26. Stray Hearts 3  - “Mother Nature”

This was not how their camping trip was supposed to go. In fact, Vergil decided that getting lost with her in the middle of the woods was quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened. Not only was nighttime fast approaching, but they had only brought the bare minimum of supplies, and hadn’t found a single demon all day. This, of course, made her cranky which, in turn, made him irritable. 

It was a vicious cycle really. 

And he’d already considered the obvious solution: trigger and fly away. Carrying her would be simple in every sense of the word. But that had gone south when he realized that he didn’t have a hope of finding where they had come from, nor would she be able to handle the elevation needed for the extended flight. Honestly, he was mildly impressed that she was even standing considering how long they had hiked through trees, messy “pathways”, and over at least two inclines. They’d traveled for hours easily, making Vergil’s attempts to get them back to the main campsite even more difficult. 

It didn’t help that Dante’s scent had mysteriously vanished in the last hour or so. 

“You promised you’d bring the compass,” She groaned as she plopped down on a log and slumped against the accompanying tree.

“And you promised you’d bring the map,” Vergil replied. 

“I swear I had it.” She said as she rifled through her back with a frown. “I double checked it after we parked the van.”

“Sure you did.”

“That doesn’t excuse you losing the compass.”

“You said you wanted to carry that too,” Vergil said.

She scowled at him. “That was before you argued with me about it.”

“I did not argue with you.”

“Does “I’m the half-demon with a perfect memory unlike you, human,” ring a bell?”

“I never said that.”

She snorted. “Clearly your memory is not as good as you think.”

“My memory is fine,”

“Then why did you forget the compass?”

“The same reason you forgot the map!”

“So we’re at an impasse.” She muttered. 

“Indeed,” He said coolly. And that quieted her for a bit as she pulled everything out of her knapsack, giving Vergil enough time to try and get his bearings. With the sun falling to the west, that meant they had… come from some other direction. Vergil sighed in frustration. Despite her failings (honestly, who forgot a map?) _he_ knew he should have paid much more attention. He wished they could just turn around, but he distinctly remembered taking more than a few turns in search of demons Dante claimed were around, so they could have walked right past the camp already and not have a clue. Vergil couldn’t hear the van or Nico, or sense anything remotely related to his brother. Which meant…

“That son of a _bitch!”_ She yelled suddenly as she ripped a folded piece of paper from the backpack and leapt to her feet. At first, Vergil assumed it was the map; same texture, color, and size. Except after she threw it a rather pathetic distance, he realized that said map was actually a taped ad for a local pizza joint with a thumbs up drawn in red pen. And while Vergil was genuinely impressed at how angry she was, he also couldn’t swallow his own annoyance at the implication. “I knew I had it!” She snapped. “That… conniving little…” 

“What are you glaring at me for?” 

“He’s your brother!” She snapped as she ripped the paper back out of his hand and tore it to pieces. “If he was going to abandon us like this he could’ve at least gotten you to bring a tent!”

Vergil glared at her. “That’s your problem with this?”

“It’s the easiest one to express at the moment, yes!”

“You’re very short sighted,” Vergil said. 

She sighed as she sunk back onto the log. “Well as someone keeps reminding me, I am a very _fragile human being_. And we might be stuck out here in the freezing cold overnight.”

 _…. Oh._ Vergil hadn’t thought of that. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Because he wasn’t affected in the slightest? And was this why Dante had been so insistent on sending her with him instead of going himself? Had he even sensed a demon? 

Vergil sighed as he shrugged off his coat and dropped it over her shoulders. She blinked, and her mouth went slightly agape before she looked up at him. “I… thank you?”

Vergil huffed. “Why do you sound so uncertain?”

“I just…” She trailed off as she pulled the coat tighter around herself. “I know this means a lot to you.”

“It’s a piece of clothing.”

“Yet you wear it every day.”

 _True,_ he thought. “I have yet to buy anything as efficient.”

“How do you even fight in this thing?” She mused. “It’s so heavy.”

“I can take it back if you don’t like it.”She scowled at him before putting her arms through sleeves in an act of defiance. “Not anymore you can’t.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

She snorted. “It’s too cold for that.” A well timed shiver proved that point, and her expression turned from slightly amused to miserable in all of three seconds. “So how are we getting out of this mess.”

Vergil didn’t have a clue, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “I doubt Dante will leave us stranded for too long.”

She growled at nothing. “That bastard is dead when we get back.”

“Agreed.”

Again, her eyes snapped to him, startled. “Did you just… _agree…_ with something _I_ said?”

“That has been a more frequent occurrence as of late.”

Her scowl turned to a gentle smile. “That it has.”

As Vergil expected, Dante arrived less than an hour later, citing a “prank” of some sorts. But multiple summoned swords and a rusty blade to the chest later, they left him unconscious in the middle of the forest with no map to speak of. “He can fly,” Vergil said when she expressed concern over the matter. “And doesn’t have a _fragile human_ to carry.”

She’d slapped his arm over that, but Vergil found he really didn’t mind. 


	27. Stray Hearts 4 - "Comfort"

If there was one thing in Vergil’s life he could do without, it was his nightmares. 

Months after their return - almost two full years since his imprisonment - they plagued him more often than he cared to admit. Almost every night he was subjected to something. Memories below out of proportion until he woke up in a cold sweat. Dreams that would spiral out of control until they were unrecognizable. Sometimes, he woke up with the phantom pain of swords in his chest and the memory of his own heart in Mundus’ hands. Other nights he’d jerk awake, panicked, confused, and seconds from running for his life before he remembered where he was; before he remembered he was safe. Or, at the very least, as safe as a half-demon descendant of Sparda could be. 

At first, Dante had tried to help, but Vergil had been stubborn. He didn’t want his brother to know how deeply these nightmares were tearing him apart. He didn’t want anyone to know, lest they pity him. His past didn’t deserve such feelings. And sometimes, Vergil convinced himself that he didn’t either. 

Then, one night,  _ she  _ came along. 

It had been a particularly bad night- a nightmare Vergil could barely remember. Mundus… a broken Yamato… shards of glass scattered throughout his body… the usual mess of memories. And when he woke with a start, it took lightning quick reflexes to keep himself from tumbling right out of bed. Frustrated, he had gone to the bookshelf in search of anything to distract himself. 

A knock on the door gave him pause. “Vergil?” 

He flinched at the sound of her voice. Had he made any noises? He certainly hadn’t thought so, but the nightmare had been more visceral than usual. He’d only recently ‘moved into’ the room next to her (as opposed to sleeping on the couch in the parlor), as he thought things were getting better.

The last thing he wanted right now was her. 

But when he didn’t say anything, a quiet sigh caught him off guard. “It’s okay,” She said. “I just want you to know that… I understand.” Vergil stared at the back of the door as she paused to take a deep breath. “I’ve dealt with them myself, you know. The nightmares. And maybe they’re not as bad for me as they are for you, but I know how hard it is to feel…” Another deep breath. “So out of control.”

“What are you trying to say?” Vergil said.

Another pause. “If I can be of any help, please don’t be afraid to ask.”

Vergil didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say. But when he heard her start to leave, he knew he needed to do something. Anything. He couldn’t… he couldn’t live like this anymore. 

“I don’t know where to start.” 

His heart plummeted at his own words. He felt so… vulnerable in a way that he couldn’t really describe. All he could think of was his childhood. Seven year old Vergil surrounded by the dead bodies of a dozen demons he’d just slaughtered, clutching Yamato because it was the only thing he had left. But even that didn’t compare to how he felt right that moment. One, single, sentence was enough to lay his heart right out for all to see. 

And just when he thought she hadn’t heard him - that the game was up and things would go back to the way they were - he heard her soft voice echo back. “Someone hurt you.”

A moment of hesitation, then, “Yes.”

“And you blame yourself… because of what you’ve done.”

He flinched as he pressed his hand to the door. Vergil could imagine her on the other side doing the same. “Yes,” He whispered. 

“Wanna talk about it?”

And as he opened the door, Vergil decided he would never understand this enigma of a woman. And, the moment she stepped into the room with loving concern in her eyes, he knew he wouldn’t have it any other way. 


	28. Stray Hearts 5 - "Water"

Vergil was starting to think that the word “vacation” wasn’t allowed to exist in his dictionary. 

Granted, he wouldn’t  have chosen a  _ water park  _ as a “getaway” in any sense of the word. But he’d been asked to come along with Nero, Kyrie, and their three foster children. So of course they would pick something like this. And of course they would invite  _ her.  _ Because why not. It seemed everyone knew of his growing fondness for the woman. Might as well make their growing  _ friendship  _ even more obvious. 

And things had gone fine at first. Vergil had spent most of the day in pink swim trunks that Kyrie picked out for him. They certainly  _ weren’t  _ for him, but his partner had called them cute in front of everyone which gave Vergil little choice but to wear them for the rest of the day. (It also helped that Nero would probably punch him if he refused Kyrie in any sense of the word). He’d stayed near Nero and the kids at first, watching from a distance as there were far too many people for him to feel comfortable standing around. Then Nero had walked over and smacked him quite literally upside the head. 

“Go hang out with her, dumbass.”

“There are better ways to tell me things.”

“Shut up and go.”

It hadn’t been too hard to track her down. She too was in a light pink swimsuit (No correlation to his own… obviously) and had her long hair undone for the first time in… as long as Vergil could remember. Had it always been that shiny? No of course not. She’d clearly spent more time in the water than he had. Had she been alone this entire time? She must have been. He didn’t see Kyrie or the kids anywhere nearby. Maybe they’d just left? Surely his own family wouldn’t have abandoned…

“Vergil?”

He blinked, pausing a moment before he realized that she was standing right in front of him. He swallowed his shock - when had she even moved? - and nodded at her. “Yes?”

“To whom do I owe the honors?” She said as she clasped her hands behind her back and grinned at him. “And here I thought you were avoiding me.”

Vergil glared at her. “I was with Nero.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why? Worried your 35 year old son might drown in the kiddie pool?”

“Not exactly,” Vergil said with a quiet huff.  _ Teasing,  _ He thought to himself.  _ Not patronizing.  _ It had taken him far too long to accept the difference. That was just her in a nutshell; all teasing, all the time. The best thing Vergil could do was pretend he didn’t hear it. “And what have you managed to do?”

“Lounge in the wave-pool.” She said. “I wanted to go on those,” She pointed to the massive slides behind them. “But they’re incredibly boring by yourself, and Kyrie had to stay with the kids so…”

“So you want me to go with you.” Vergil said, his voice as deadpanned as he could make it. In truth… he’d been looking at them himself. 

Her hands clapped in front of her as she grinned, ignoring his ruse. “If you’re up for it.”

A chorus of screams cut off any response he may have had.  _ Demon,  _ his subconscious said long before he processed it. “Get the others out of here,” He said but she was long gone, directing people away from the water. A crash echoed in the distance, followed by the roars of something he didn’t recognize. Vergil teleported back to their bags, unburying Yamato from the excessive amount of towels they’d used to get it through security. He found Nero with Kyrie and the others, directing people in the same way his partner was. All Vergil had to do was deal with the demons. Easy enough.

Except when he blinked back to her side… she was gone, right along with the bag storing her own sword. A clatter in the distance pulled him away, and he barely made it before a fury careened into her from the side. “What are you doing?” He said. 

“What does it look like?” She plunged her sword into a nearby empusa, grunting as she ripped it back out. 

“Follow Nero,” Vergil said. “Get out of here.”

She whirled on him, her sword slicing through the neck of another weak demon as she glared at him. “I’m not so weak I can’t fight.”

Vergil gawked at her as he chucked a series of summoned swords over her shoulder. “You’re in a bikini.”

“And you’re in swim trunks. What’s the difference.”

He grabbed her arm and yanked her behind him, parrying a second fury before he stabbed Yamato through its gut. “That’s the difference,” He said as he spun toward her. “I will take care of this.”

“I‘m not as weak as you…”

“And what am I supposed to do if you get hurt?” He snapped as a flurry of summoned swords surrounded them. The stupider demons were sliced to ribbons. The bigger ones took a large step back. “You have no armor, a flimsy weapon, and nothing to protect yourself. I don’t need you getting in my way.” 

“Vergil, I can…”

“Just go!”

The pain in her eyes was visceral. He could  _ feel  _ her frustration in his heart and her hurt in his body. But when she dropped her sword at his feet with her lips in a tight line and her eyes close to tears, Vergil knew this was something she’d not soon forget. 


	29. Stray Hearts 6 - "Broken Heart"

Vergil knew something was wrong when he found her drunk in the lobby. 

Granted, he already knew he wasn’t in her good graces after the two week “near-silent” treatment. They still worked together. STill took jobs. Though he noticed she stood further back than she used to. The temporary sword Dante had given her was a touch too unwieldy. She looked uncomfortable just holding it, much less using the thing. But considering how she’d become more of a cordial spectator rather than an active hunter, it didn’t matter much.

At first, Vergil thought it was an act of petty revenge. But then he remembered that she wasn't the type of person to do such a thing. He’d seen her argue with Dante numerous times over something that bothered her. And the two rarely fought for longer than a day. So maybe, he thought, something was wrong with him. But Vergil didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. SO, he simply waited. If she wanted to talk to him, she would. 

He tried not to think about how the awkward cordiality was driving him borderline insane. 

He hated this.

He hated how broken their… friendship had become.

But when he’d finally gone to apologize all he found was a drunken mess slumped on the couch. She hadn’t even made it to the stairs. But what was much more concerning was the fact that Verigl had never seen her drink this much before. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time she drank anything, much less to this extent. What could have driven her to…

“What do you want?”

It took Vergil a second to recognize her voice. There was so much... hurt and anger all mixed together in a slobbering mess of a person. Everything about her was disheveled. Her clothes were unkempt. Her hair was tied in the messiest bun he’d ever seen. Her eyes were bloodshot. She swayed slightly as she raised her head to glare at him. Her cheeks were stained with… tears?

Had she been crying?

“Where’s Dante?”

She snorted. “How should I know? I’m not his babysitter.”

Vergil resisted the urge to glare. He’d dealt with drunk Dante before, he had the patience to deal with her. “How much did you drink?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because you’re my…”

“Partner?” She said. “Yeah sure, Vergil. Clearly I’m sooooo important.” Her eyes fluttered as her words slurred. 

“You’re drunk.”

“No, really?”

“And not yourself.”

“Probably not.”

“So I suggest you sleep before you say something you regret.”

“Something I regret?” She stumbled off the couch, but jerked away when he instinctively reached for her. “Oh please. I already regret this whole thing.” She pushed him aside again, and Vergil resisted the urge to sigh. At least her mind was still intact. Dante would’ve been a mess on the floor by now, mumbling about something that didn’t matter. 

“Besides,” She said as she leaned against the wall by the stairs. “If I had my way, I’d sleep beside you every night.”

Vergil blinked as his mind caught up to what she said. “What?” He gawked. “What do you mean by that?”

She glared at him. “Get your mind out of the gutter. It’s supposed to be cute.” And while Vergil could only stare at her, she reached for her head and groaned. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just some weak, useless human that can’t even defend myself.”

“I never said that.”

“You have before.”

“... Months ago, maybe. But not recently.”

“You couldn’t even trust me to fight the demons at the water park.”

That time, Vergil glared at her. “Is that what this is about?”

“And I get it,” She said as she struggled to climb the stairs. How much had she had to drink? Much more than she should have, clearly. “I’m not as good as you or as strong as you or as demonic as you or… anything really.”

“I did not…”

“And my sword broke when I wasn’t even using it, so that's even more embarrassing.”

“Will you listen to me?” Vergil said, reaching for her arm. This time, she spun on him, but didn’t pull away. “You don’t have a clue what you’re saying.”

“Or I do,” she said. “And you just don’t want to hear it.”

Vergil set his jaw as he pulled her a bit closer. “You need to sleep.” He said. She groaned and fell against him, but didn’t say anything else. “Are you feeling sick? Is your room ready? Do you need the medicine Dante bought?”

“You ask…” She groaned again. “Too many questions.”

The second time she stumbled, Vergil practically tossed her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. “I’m sorry,” She mumbled as he lay her on his own bed. “It’s been…” Her eyes fluttered closed. “A rough few weeks.” Vergil said nothing as she curled up against the pillow and shivered. Finally, when her breaths slowed and he was certain she was asleep. Vergil sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

_ What a mess.  _

He paused.  _ Mess?  _ That’s not the word he would have used a few months ago. Nuisance, maybe. Annoyance. A million other things. But  _ mess…  _

She shivered again, and Vergil shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over her before he had a chance to think about it. Downstairs, the door creaked open and slammed shut in a matter of seconds. “Verge!” Dante yelled. “Please tell me that Sunshine made it home.”

His eyes narrowed. “You weren’t keeping track of her?”

“I was but…”

Vergil glanced at her again as his mind wandered to the sword he knew was sitting on her desk. “She’s here,” He said as he stepped into the hallway. “And I suggest you take care of her.”

“Why?” Dante said as he hopped up the stairs. “Did she drink more than I thought?” 

A summoned sword plunged through into Dante’s shoulder as Vergil grabbed a second coat and left the building. 


	30. Stray Hearts 7 - "Whole"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last piece of the Stray Hearts series! After this, we're back to drabble requests and random stories (though Dadgil week is coming up in a few weeks so... watch out for those! I'm not sure if they'll be drabbles just yet, or if they'll need to be their own series. I'll let ya'll know once I do, though!)
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

She woke up with the worst headache of her life in a room she didn’t recognize right away. She groaned as she sat up, confused with an unfamiliar fabric fell from her neck.

_Vergil’s coat?_

Memories of the night before flooded back into her. _Oh no._ She wanted to slap herself. She hadn’t intended on things getting so out of hand. But Dante just had to mention his brother, and she just had to get all upset about it. She just _had_ to keep drinking until she could barely stumble home. Would she have done it knowing he’d be waiting? Maybe it didn’t matter. Now he knew the truth. He’d taken pity on her for now, but everything was over. Now he knew how she felt, and what kind of stupid decisions she could make in the heat of the moment. 

Why was she so upset over something so stupid? She knew she didn’t have a chance with someone like him. It hadn’t stopped her from trying, though. She’d seen through everything about him. She’d realized that hisd cold demeanor was really just hiding a painful past. She knew now that his aloof behavior and often rough choice of words was really just him struggling to put his own thoughts out in the open. And she’d honestly believed that he had started to pen up to her. To trust her. Maybe even… 

She sighed. If that were true, then he wouldn’t have sent her away from such an easy fight. 

Why doubt herself now over decisions made then? 

The door opened in the middle of her musings and Vergil stepped in. He wasn’t wearing a coat - a rarity as far as she could remember - nor did he hold Yamato for longer than he had to. Normally, she enjoyed looking at his muscular arms or just him in general. But today, she felt nothing but shame gnawing at her insides. “Vergil I…”

He held his hand up as he found a spot on the edge of the bed close to her. “It has come to my attention that I made a grievous error in judgement.”

She stared at him, momentarily perplexed. “Run that by me again?”

Vergil huffed, but it wasn’t with any sort of annoyance as far as she could tell. He looked almost… tired. As if he’d been out all night. And as far as she knew, he had. Why else would she have woken up in his room of all places? “I made a mistake,” He said slowly - for his own benefit, probably. “And I’m here to fix it.”

Then, he held out a small red sphere of sorts. She stared at it, confused. There was so much demonic energy radiating from it that even she could feel it. It wasn’t a devil arm, though. From what little Dante had told her, those did not come in small, spheres. She knew from experience with V that demons themselves could be…

“Is this…?”

“Take it,” He said, holding it a bit closer. Slowly, she scooped her palm between his and the sphere, blushing when she accidentally brushed his skin. He didn’t react, nor did he move when she lifted the sphere into her own palm. The second it touched, it burst with a flicker of blue light. At her feet, was a small, blue and black demonic panther that she instantly recognized. “Shadow,” Vergil said before she could. “Not the same one that I had as V, but close enough. She is loyal to you and you alone.” 

“But…” She reached for Shadow who nuzzled against her hand. “I don’t… I thought…” She closed her mouth, furious as she was unable to come up with any kind of appropriate response. As usual, she was not as eloquent as him. But maybe it didn’t matter. 

“Nico is working on a replacement sword,” he continued. “One that will be much better suited for your abilities.”

“But what’s the point?” She whispered. “If you don’t trust me to fight with you.”

Vergil was silent for a long moment before he finally said, “I do trust you, and I’ve never doubted your abilities. But I..” He trailed off, but recovered quickly. “I have found myself worrying more than usual lately. If a demon were to get to you and I wasn’t there, or if there were too many to stop… then I would lose you. And I can’t lose someone else… not someone who's so important to me.”

Her gaze jerked up, surprised. He’d never admitted such a thing before. Never to you. But why… “Why now?” she said. “Why did you wait…?”

“The fool who persists in his folly will become wise,” He said, brushing her cheek. “And I have very much been a fool.”

And before a single tear could leave her tired eyes, she did the thing she’d always wanted to do. 

She kissed him. 

He didn’t recoil as she expected, though she could feel his moment of confusion as he didn’t respond in any discernible way. And for a split second, she thought she overstepped some boundary that she wasn’t aware of and considered pulling away. But then he leaned into her. His lips molded with her own as his hands drifted to her sides. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders, pulling him as close as he would allow. She wasn’t sure if she’d caught him off balance, or if he’d been ready for it, as she found herself on her back with him towering over her, the kiss never stopping. 

And in that moment, she knew for certain that he would never let her go. 


	31. Stay Like This Forever (Vergil/Reader)

It was rare that you found any kind of reprieve with your significant other. Vergil was always busy; a byproduct of a thankless job. And you knew he kept himself that way. Not because he didn’t want to spend time with you - he’d made that very clear over the last few months you’d been together - but because he felt guilty. The demons were, after all, an infestation caused by the Qliphoth tree. The weak barrier between the demonic realm and the real world was, in part, due to the dozens of portals he’d made almost carelessly, not really knowing the effect they had. So he was out there every day without fail, always fighting. Always looking for a way to cull the demons he’d brought into this world, and never quite finding a solution.

And despite that noble cause, you couldn’t help but feel lonely from time to time. You didn’t blame him. Never that. But you did miss him. A lot. 

So when he did come home unexpectedly in the middle of the night while you were watching re-runs of a show you no longer cared about, you were pleasantly surprised. “Did your hunting go well?”

“As well as it could,” He said as he shrugged his jacket off. “You should be in bed.”

The look he gave you made you a bit sheepish. “Couldn’t sleep,” You said trying to give your best “I’m-totally-awake-right-now” smile, but he wasn’t fooled. You can’t remember the last time he was ever convinced of something like that. “Besides, I was quite enjoying... uh...” You wave awkwardly at the TV as the name of the show escapes you. 

Vergil’s eyebrow shot up immediately. “I see.” He moved toward you, but didn’t sit on the couch. “What would it take to get you to sleep?”

“A very comfortable, human-shaped pillow.”

His eyes narrowed, but you could tell from the shift in his expression that he was trying to hold back some kind of laughter. “You waited all night for that?”

“Not purposefully.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I have to leave early in the morning.”

“I know.”

“And I’ll likely wake you up.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’re being incredibly stubborn.”

You smile. “That’s par for the course with you.”

He rolled his eyes as he swept you into his arms. You sigh, content as you let your head fall against his chest, and your eyes close. You really were tired. There was no denying that. But this felt... right. Him holding you, calm and confident as he carried you to bed. The way he lay you under the blankets before following himself, holding you in that protective way he always did. 

“Can we stay like this forever?” You murmur as you snuggle just a bit closer. 

“As long as you will have me,” He said with a gentle brush of lips on your cheek. And you couldn’t help but smile as you wrapped your arms around him as tightly as you could before sleep finally claimed you.


	32. Promise Me (Vergil/Reader)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Don’t you ever do that again,”

The fight was a chaotic one; much more so than what you were used to. Usually, Vergil had everything under control; demons included. He always knew which ones to kill first, which ones to leave to you. He tracked every movement of everything on the battlefield; friend and foe alike. No matter the circumstances, you could always trust that he knew what needed to be done and could execute it with incredible proficiency. 

Today, however, everything had gone horribly wrong and you still weren’t sure why. There were more portals than usual. More demons to kill. They were more aggressive and acting strangely, surrounding you both with odd movements and impeccable coordination. He’d already tried to get you out, but there were just too many to focus on a portal, too many fliers that got in the way, and far too many monsters on the ground to safely carve a way through them. The best he’d managed is to hide you under a metal bin of sorts, as the demons seemed much more interested in him than you.

A small blessing, you supposed. 

But a part of you was furious. Not at him. Of course not. But at yourself. You’d been fighting demons for a while now. This wasn’t the first time you’d be ‘overrun’ (though it was the worst). Nothing should have phased you. That’s the kind of strength you liked to show to him. The kind of strength he needed to see in order to trust you. But right now, you were absolutely terrified in every way imaginable. You froze the second those dozen portals open, useless in the face of demons you’d seen hundreds of times. Even your trusty sword you had used for years before you met Vergil felt like a block of cement in hands turned to puddy. All you could do was cower in fear, seconds from bursting into tears. 

A part of you hated yourself. You wanted to fight. You wanted to prove you could do it. All you could think about what would happen when this was all over. Because you know it would end at some point. He could beat anything, no matter how long it took or how many enemies there were. But you could just imagine that look of disdain when he came back for you. How much of his trust would you lose because of this? Would he ever let you fight with him again?

Frustrated, you forced yourself to peer out at the fight raging around you. Vergil had managed to keep the demons away from you, and he didn’t stray too far. Some portals had yet to close, but you assumed he wouldn’t risk your safety to close them. Maybe he thought things would have to end eventually. You’d already messaged his brother, though you had no idea how long he would take to get back from Fortuna. Vergil didn’t look tired - you couldn’t remember the last time he had even after forgetting to sleep for numerous days - but you knew he was straining. Why hadn’t he triggered yet? You’d already seen his demonic form. It didn’t scare you. It did, however, dispel plenty of energy. Maybe he was worried about that. 

That only made you angrier. All you were at the moment was a detriment. Someone who, no matter where you went or what you did, was in the way. 

A fury appeared to his left, but he was distracted by the dozen or so demons to his right. Your heart stopped. Your brain stalled. You moved before you could stop yourself, driving your sword straight between yourself, him, and the fury. The demon swatted it away and dove straight for you. You stumbled away, terror slamming into you as you hit the ground.

A burst of energy almost knocked you off your feet. Vergil was there in a second, tearing the demon to shreds before he launched himself back into the fray. Now, there was no control in his movements. His demonic form moved at blinding speeds, eviscerating everything he could reach. You could only stare as numerous circles of blade slices appeared all around you. Demons exploded, seemingly untouched. Portals closed. The remaining demons, fully aware that they could no longer fight him, turned straight on you. You reached for your sword, but he appeared in front of you before you had the chance, swiping them all away with a mix of Yamato and his tail. The demon bodies disintegrated, vanishing completely. The last of the portals closed. 

Within a few minutes, it was over. But he spun on you in a fit of rage as his demon form dropped. You flinched away, but he stepped closer. “What would make you do something so idiotic?”

“I just wanted to...” You trailed off, realizing that your logic didn’t make much sense. You wanted to what... protect him? He didn’t need protection. You...

Tears sprang to your eyes. It was over now. It had to be. He’d never let you fight with him again. “Vergil I...”

“You risked your life,” He snapped. “And for what?”

“I wasn’t thinking,” You said, trying to hold back any emotions you could. You didn’t want to seem weak. You didn’t want to let him down again. “I just...”

“Do you have any idea what would happen if I lost you?”

You stared at him, unable to hide your surprise. “I don’t know,” You whispered. “I... I didn’t want to let you down.”

After a moment of silence, he sighed in some mix of frustration and relief. “Don’t you ever do that again,” He said. 

“Vergil...”

“Promise me,” He said. 

After a moment, you gently took his hand. He didn’t pull away. “I promise,” You said. 

After another moment of no response, he lifted your hand to his lips and kissed your palm. “Good,” He said. “Now to take you home.”


	33. Crack a Smile (Vergil/Roxy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”

Roxy knew how difficult it was to make Vergil smile. From his tragic past to his disagreements with his brother and generally grumpy attitude, his shell was a hard one to crack. It didn’t mean she hadn’t seen the ghost of a smile from time to time, but it did mean that they faded as quickly as they came. And as much as she wished to count those as smiles, it wasn’t enough. 

She wanted more. She wanted a real, long-lasting smile. 

Roxy also never took offense to his seemingly distant and unfriendly personality. The last few months had taught her better than that. He was a phenomenal caretaker, and she knew from conversations that he took his job very seriously. She knew it was more than the money. He did care. At least a little bit. They did at least like each other enough that she considered him a close friend. 

However, he was far too serious. And she was trying to find ways around that. 

At first, she’d tried something far too easy. “Knock, knock,” She said out of the blue. It was a long-shot, but she had some hope when he looked up with this usually raised eyebrow look. 

Then he spoke; “No.” 

That had knocked the wind out of her sails. “Oh come on,” She said. “Live a little.”

“Responding to childish jokes is not ‘living a little’,” Vergil said. 

“But these childish jokes are timeless.”

“Dante tries them far too often,”

“But I’m a lot better than your brother,”

Vergil scoffed, but she swore she saw a flicker of a smile. Progress she had thought at the time, even though he’d returned to his usual disinterested look within seconds. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

She had scowled at him then, but all that had done was fuel her determination. She would make him smile. Somehow. 

She tried again on another day.

“What’s the best thing about Switzerland?”

Again, he’d given her that look. This time, however, his voice had been so deadpanned she’d almost applauded him for it. “I don’t know, but its flag is a huge plus.”

She’d had to choke back her own laughter. This was serious business. “What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?”

“The same middle name.”

“Do you know why it’s hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs?” She said.

“Because they always take things so literally,” Vergil said. 

She groaned. “Your brother is the worst.”

Again, she got a split second of something, but he hid it so fast she wasn’t even sure she saw it right. “Indeed.”

Her next attempt had been a complete accident. 

It was one of their hunting days where Vergil got everything as close to death as possible and she’d shoot them down without about as much enthusiasm as a child who’s birthday party had been spoiled. “You know I can fight these demons just as well as you.”

“This is faster,” He said, sheathing Yamato with that slow click he always did. A nearby demon burst as he very, very slowly rose to his feet. 

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you always so dramatic?”

He blinked once. Twice. Then glanced at her. “I am not dramatic.”

She stared at him for a good thirty seconds before she burst into laughter. “You’re joking right?” She said between breaths. When his confusion turned to a scowl, she’d only laughed harder. “Do you not see yourself?” She grabbed her stomach, trying her best not to double over. “You’re worse than your brother.”

“I am in no way more dramatic than Dante.”

“Yes, you are!” She said. “Your brother’s a goofball, but at least he’s aware of it.”

She saw his eyebrows twitch as his grip tightened on Yamato. “I am fully aware of how I act.”

“So you’re dramatic on purpose then.” She pulled back on the strings of her bow, firing a trio of arrows at the closest set of enemies. Then, she tossed her bow and bowed with a flourish before it landed in her other hand. She heard Aki chirp in her head, though she couldn’t tell if it was annoyance or amusement. “I’m afraid I don’t have a sword to sheathe,” She said. “Nor am I capable of exploding demons seconds after they’ve already died. But you get the point.”

“There is no point to get,” Vergil said as he slashed at another demon. Then, predictably, he spun his sword before sheathing it again. 

“There you go again!” She said. “Dramatic.” 

“I am nothing of the sort.”

She fired again, then spun her bow in her hand before transforming it back into Aki. Vergil was feet away by now, eyes trained directly on hers. He might have been more intimidating if she wasn’t having so much fun pushing his buttons. “You can’t go a single fight without showing off in some way,” She said. His eyes narrowed just a smidge more, but he didn’t respond to that. “You know why?” She said as she took another step closer. 

“Why?” he said flatly. 

She pressed a finger to his chest. “Because your brother is such a goofball that you feel you have to one-up him.”

“I do not take my brother into account.”

“Maybe not consciously,” She said. “But you most certainly do. And you know what’s even better?”

“What?”

“You don’t even have to try with me,” She said. “Yet you still do.”

“And why is that?” He said. 

“Because I interest you,” Roxy said with as much confidence as she could. “And showing off is the only way you know how to show it.”

He hummed at that, looking down at her. She frowned, craning her neck to keep his gaze. “And you’re far too tall.”

And that, of all things, is what got him to smile. 

Roxy choked back her laughter. “I think I’ve entered an alternate universe,” She said. “You actually cracked a smile for me.” 

It was gone the second she finished that sentence. “No one will ever believe you.”

She smiled. “But I saw it,” She said. “And that’s all that matters.” 


	34. Well this is Awkward (Vergil/Lady)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well this is awkward..."

It was midnight when Lady returned to Devil May Cry ready to demand Dante’s payment for all the hard work she’d done. Except she didn’t find the happy-go-lucky devil she was looking for and instead found his snobbish older brother. 

_What a way to end the day._

Lady and Vergil’s “relationship” if one could call it that had been rocky from the start. Dante had encouraged her to let bygones be bygones and forgive Vergil for whatever happened in the past. But Lady hadn’t quite figured out how to do that yet. And Vergil had been cordial to her and- aside from the double mass murders he’d inadvertently caused - gave her no reason to doubt his intentions. He was… reformed now. Maybe. Kind of. She wasn’t certain. 

But… she had gotten used to being alone with the guy. It had only taken half a year of arguments to finally accept that he was back and actually _trying_ to build a new life. It also helped that Dante was always conveniently missing whenever she came over. “He’s avoiding me again, isn’t he?” She said as she leaned on her rocket launcher. 

“I believe so,” Vergil said, not looking up from his book. He was standing in the corner by his makeshift bookshelf, going through the meager amount of books he’d managed to scrounge up over the last few months. Of course, the bookshelf had been “purchased”- most likely found in a trash bin- by Dante. So, it was lopsided with chipped wood and an ugly, uneven paint job. And the thing was tiny. Three shelves in total that were barely wider than Vergil himself. That was probably why there were so many books scattered on the floor; piles of tomes and leather-bound monstrosities that Dante wouldn’t touch in a million years. 

“Think he’s got any money stored in that desk of his?” Lady said as she wandered closer with a hint of trepidation. She wanted to exude as much confidence as possible, but Vergil had a way of taking over the room whether he wanted to or not. Maybe it was the bad memories and a desire to stay away from him. Maybe she was determined to not give in to the younger brother and avoid Vergil entirely. 

“Unlikely,” Vergil said as he snapped his book closed and placed it on the ground before grabbing another.

“What are you doing anyway?” Lady said as she sat Kalina Ann on Dante’s desk. 

“Sorting,”

“On that small thing?”

“I’ll be buying a new one shortly.”

“Then you can afford to pay me.”

Vergil scowled. “Not at the moment.” 

Lady glared at him. “You know how much your brother owes me?”

“I have nothing to do with his debts,” Vergil said. Then, he paused and corrected himself. “Debts to you.”

“You’re both running the business,” Lady said. “And I did my job.” She said as she made her way toward him.

Then, the lights went out. 

Lady swore to herself as she fumbled in the dark. Her foot hit a large book. She stumbled, reaching out in hopes of finding anything to stop her fall. Her hand grabbed an arm and Vergil hauled her back to her feet with little effort. “You should be more careful,” He said. 

She glared in the dark, hoping it was at him. “You should pay for the electricity bill.”

“I did,” He said flatly. “It seems Dante was more behind than I thought.” 

Lady moved toward his voice, yanking her hand away to put them on her hips. She heard him take a step back and followed after him. “Call Morrison,” She said. “Fix this.”

“I’ve spent all my money on trying to _fix this_ ,” Vergil snapped. 

When she took another step forward, she bumped right into him."Well, this is awkward,” she said sarcastically.

“You’re the one making it _awkward,”_ Vergil said. Still, he hadn’t made any effort to leave. For some reason, Lady found that... enticing.

Why?

“Help me.” She said.

“Do what?”

“I don’t know,” Lady said. “Get me somewhere safe? Maybe the couch?”

Vergil scoffed. “If you think that couch is safe…”

Lady wrinkled her nose. “Okay, not the couch.” She pushed her hand against his chest. Still nothing. Had she somehow cornered him? Impossible. Vergil could easily slip away. But he wasn’t making any effort to 

“I know you’ve got some money lying around.” She said. “Pay up.”

“No.”

“Then tell Dante I’m not taking any more missions until he pays me back.”

“Yes, you will.” He said.

“Excuse me?”

He moved again. They were close now. So close that she could actually see him in the pale and inefficient moonlight. “You enjoy the thrill of the fight. Of the chase,” Vergil said. “Of watching demons fall at your feet begging for mercy that you never give. You wouldn’t walk away from that, even if my brother refused to pay you ever again.”

 _The thrill._ She hadn’t really thought of that before, but a wicked thought crossed her mind. Maybe she should have ignored it. Maybe she should have demanded that he return her to Kalina Ann and waltzed right out the door. But instead, she held her ground, looking straight up into his eyes. Still, he didn’t make any effort to leave, and she swore she could see a hint of a glow in the dark; a sharp, predatory gaze that was trained directly on her. “And what about it?”

“This devil is not as easy to tame as the others,” Vergil said simply. “My brother included.”

“We’ll see about that,” Lady said.


	35. Bone - Vergil/Reader

You knew the wound was bad when you saw the bone poking out through your skin. It was a miracle you didn’t just pass out then and there.

Vergil was going to kill you if the demons didn’t first. 

You stumbled into an alleyway, trying to hold your broken arm somewhat up. And, of course, it just had to be your dominant hand, so you weren’t able to fight anything else. Thankfully, Nero was close by and you already knew he’d seen the injury. You hoped you could find the van as Nico would know how to take care of your arm until you could get to a hospital. 

A growl echoed at your feet. You quickly stomped the demon head that had detached from its body, grimacing as the brains clung to your shoe. You’d have to burn that too, along with most of your clothing. You could kick yourself for being so careless, but you still weren’t sure how everything had gone so wrong. It had taken months of missions before Vergil had relented, allowing you to go with Nero and Nico alone from time to time. And this one should have been as simple as the others. You were grateful that you had the foresight to steal one of Vergil’s coats when he wasn’t looking, as it had stopped numerous cuts and bruises by taking the brunt of the attacks itself. 

Vergil was probably going to kill you for ruining that too. 

You pressed your back against the building, unable to look at the wound. You were numb to the pain now, probably thanks to the adrenaline pumping through your veins. You fumbled for your phone, groaning when you found it crushed in your pocket. At least  _ that  _ wasn’t Vergil’s or your corpse would get a very stern talking to. You had half a mind to toss it, but the sound would probably attract whatever demons that weren’t flinging themselves at Nero. No, you had to be discreet. Slink around the back allies until you found help, whether it be Nico or a random human. You  _ hoped  _ you found Nico first, as another human would probably panic at the sight, but anyone was better than solitude, especially when your adrenaline was bound to wear off. 

But when you turned the corner, you froze, as dozens of demons were waiting, gouging on bodies of other demons. You stepped back as quietly as possible but cried out when your arm bumped a nearby building. The demons - strange, four-legged demons with a hand towering off their back - all turned to look at you. When they started to scurry in your direction, you turned and ran, ignoring the agonizing pain. But where could you go? One ally led back to the same fight you’d barely escaped. Another was a dead end. You were lost, trapped, and most likely doomed. 

One of the hands grabbed your leg. You screamed as you fell, landing right back on your already broken arm. Tears streamed down your face as you kicked at the demon, scrambling away. But there was no hope. You couldn’t stand up. Not like this. All you could do was back into the wall as the demons advanced. “Vergil,” You whimpered, pulling your legs in. “I’m sorry.”

But just as one of the demons leaped toward you, a blue demon slammed down right in front of you. Blue lines burst in the air, slicing the demons to bits. Their screams were horrible screeches that threatened to deafen you, but it was nothing compared to the relief you felt as Vergil’s demon form appeared before you. “Vergil,” you said as you lean your head back against the wall. He was silent, but you could tell by the way his tail was moving that he was not happy. “Kill me later, please,” You said. “Maybe after someone’s fixed my arm.” 

His demon form slipped away but he still stood there, silent. Unmoving. It unnerved you, but he was good at doing that when he wanted. “Vergil?” You said again. “Please just… say something?” He didn’t and you tried unsuccessfully to stand up again. “I’m fine. Honest. It’s just…” you flinched. “Well it could be better but…” He took a step toward you as you tried to fight back tears. Everything hurt now, but you didn’t want to show it. “Please just…. Say… something. Anything. Don’t do this to me right…”

Your words were silenced when he swooped down and wrapped his arms around you. You blinked, tears slipping down your cheeks. “I’m okay,” You whispered. “I’ll heal.”

“I told you not to go alone,” He said. 

“I wasn’t alone.”

He grunted but didn’t argue as he picked you up, making sure your arm was cradled against his chest. “Nero…”

“Nero’s fine,” Vergil said. “I told him to go home.”

“So you knew where I was?”

“I always know where you are,” He said in a matter-of-fact way as his wings appeared. 

You blinked. “How?”

His smile was almost comical. “A demon always knows where to find his mate.”

You buried your face into his chest, hiding your embarrassment behind a thinly veiled excuse of pain. 


	36. Cryptid - Vergil/Reader

If looks could kill, the glare you gave Dante would have already put him in the dirt.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m always serious, babe,” He said with a grin. 

“The Loch Ness Monster?” You said. “Really?”

“That’s what I’ve been told.”

“The one in  _ Scotland _ ?”

“I know, I know,” He said. “But some people were shoutin’ about it at the lake nearby, so someone’s gotta go check it out.”

You scowl deepened. “And Vergil’s okay with this?”

“I never said that,” Both Dante and Vergil echoed at the same time. 

You rubbed your forehead. “This is ridiculous.”

“Funny,” Dante said as he leaned back in the chair. “Your grumpy boyfriend over there said the same thing.” You weren’t surprised when a summoned sword careened into his shoulder. Clearly, he wasn’t either, for he just left it there as he put his hands behind his head. “I’m just saying it’s a bit of a hike to get up there without demon forms, and you’ll want to stake out the place for probably a couple of days.” He grinned up at you like a cat waiting for its milk. “I’d be happy to go camping with ya if you like but…” A second summoned sword made him flinch. “Then I’d probably be dead.”

You rolled your eyes. “Wouldn’t it just be easier for you to go?”

“Sure it would, but then you wouldn’t get the weekend alone.”

“Yes, we-”

“In a national park,” He continued. “In complete silence. Devoid of all human contact except for each other.” He sighed with a shake of his head. “Knowing you two, you’ll end up reading books the whole trip.” 

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Vergil muttered. 

“Did you forget the whole  _ alone _ part?” Dante said as he yanked the blades out of his shoulder and tossed them aside. “Couple of prudes can’t even figure out how…”

You slammed your hand down on the desk. “Don’t you dare,” You said. Dante threw his hands up in surrender, but the mischievous grin was impossible to ignore. 

“Enjoy!”

And that’s how you’d ended up on a secluded campsite overlooking a lake as you and Vergil read around a campfire. You’d both decided to go the long way around, driving out to the edge of the park and hiking to where you were now. It wasn’t too bad of a hike, though you had to remind Vergil more than once that, despite your relationship, you were still human and did not have his level of stamina. But he’d never gotten angry with you, just slowed down, rejoined you, then managed to get ahead again. You were half surprised he didn’t just fly away, set everything up, and come back for you twenty minutes later. But you both managed the entire two-hour hike, and you’d even enjoyed the sights, picking more than one flower that you hoped would survive the trip home. 

“What do you think of this… Loch Ness Monster?”

“It’s nonsense,” Vergil said without looking up. 

You bit your lip as you shifted in your seat. “I mean it wasn’t a terrible idea.” Vergil’s eye rose over his book. “I mean it’s nice and quiet.”

He hummed at that looking back down at his book. You set yours aside, a slightly crazy idea forming in your mind. “And it is just us,” You said gently as you moved to his side. This time, he shifted fully to look up at you with a slightly cocked eyebrow. “And I’ve heard these chairs are pretty good.”

His book snapped closed - a victory, you thought - and he didn’t stop you as you smoothly slid onto his lap and slid your hands over his shoulders. It wasn’t the most comfortable position you’d ever been in, but you didn’t mind, especially when he rested his hands on your hips. You rewarded him with a gentle kiss but pulled away with a mischievous smile when he moved to deepen it. You saw his eyes flicker in annoyance, and felt the way you’d already begun to rile him up. 

Six months ago he never would have allowed this. But he also wouldn’t have come out alone with you either. Your relationship had been a slow one in your opinion, but you didn’t really mind. You’d much rather take things slow and steady then rush and lose someone you’d come to care very deeply for. 

You didn’t notice his hands drifting up your back until he pulled you closer. You blushed but daringly rolled your hips against his. You saw a slight twitch in his expression, but he was otherwise still as a statue. You gently slid one hand under his chin, running your fingers along his jaw. You always shied away from his gaze, as it had yet to leave yours, but you held it with as much confidence as you could muster. You knew he respected you for that, as you weren’t afraid of him when so many others were. You did, however, close your eyes when he leaned forward, lips brushing yours…

A sharp slapping of water jerked your attention away. You looked up, shocked to see a snake-like body darting back under the surface of the water. Its tail slapped the surface of the water, sending a shocking amount of water flying. “Vergil…!”

His hand found your cheek, pushing it back to face him. “We can deal with that later,” He said, his eyes glaze over. 

“Is it actually a…?”

“Demon. A small one at that,” He said dismissively. You squeaked as he stood up, hands under her legs as he held you with ease. “It won’t bother anyone, assuming people aren’t stupid enough to try swimming with it.”

“But someone might…” You trailed off, then scowled. “You knew it was there.”

“Since we got here.”

“And you’ve done nothing?”

He shrugged. “I had reading to catch up on.”

“You…”

He silenced you with a kiss but pulled away far too soon. “You started this,” He growled. “And I’m going to finish it.”

You didn’t complain when you carried you right into the tent. 


	37. Never Too Late (Vergil/Reader)

It was midnight when Vergil returned home, exhausted and filthy. At 12:05, he found it in his heart to give you a lengthy kiss to the forehead before trudging off to the shower. You were certain he went to bed around 12:20, as that’s when the shower turned off and he had yet to come back down. You planned to join him as soon as your show was over, as you were certain he would want some time to himself before you wandered up there and disturbed his sleep. 

At 12:30, a blue demon appeared in your living room. 

You looked up in surprise as the ghostly demon stared down at you. It was Vergil’s SDT, but only a light blue instead of the numerous scales with various, dark blue hues. Yet it moved just like he always did. Its’ tail swayed from side to side. Its horns were still on fire. Its teeth were just as sharp. It was almost a perfect replica and you had no idea what it was doing there. 

Then, it bowed slightly and held its hand out to you. You stared at it for a long time, uncertain what exactly it was asking. And when you did take its hand, the creature pulled you to your feet. “Where’s Vergil?” You asked. The creature’s head tilted, and you tried a different question. “Is he sleeping?”

The creature gave a bemused snort as it nodded. You were shocked at how real it was. You honestly expected your arms to go right through the thing. But as it pulled you closer, one hand at your waist and the other gently holding your hand, you realized that it was as real as you. Its tail snaked up a nearby table, tapping on the play button of your radio. A slow song started, and the creature began to sway. Mesmerized, you joined it - him? - rocking back and forth to the beat of the song. You swore you heard it humming, but it was so quiet that you couldn’t be certain. At one point, as the song reached its chorus, the creature spun you only to pull you back close and sway some more. And he was surprisingly cool considering Vergil was usually hotter than the damn sun like this. Even the flames on his horns didn’t seem to produce any heat. 

But there were much more pressing questions at hand. Such as the most obvious one - was this Vergil dancing with you or someone else entirely? 

Sigh from the hallway answered that question as Vergil, dressed in the pajamas you’d bought for him a few weeks prior, walked up to the both of you. “Why must you bother me so?” He said, looking up at the creature. It shrugged, not letting go of you. You looked between them, both confused and slightly amused at the staring contest between the two. 

“Is he you?” You said. 

“In a way,” Vergil said. “But he does… nonsensical things.”

You snorted. “But don’t you control it?”

Finally, Vergil’s gaze turned toward you. The creature vanished, but Vergil was there to take its place. You gave him the cheesiest smile you could imagine. “If you wanted to dance you could’ve just asked.”

He glared at you, but it was soft as a new song started in the background. “It’s too late for that,” He said in a dismissive tone. Yet he swayed all the same, gently pulling you back and forth along with him. 

You squeezed his hand. “It’s never too late for something like this.”

He hummed at that, but said nothing more.


End file.
